Demand Tasmanian Blood Ban be Dropped!

The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal has been debating whether gay/bisexual men should be allowed to donate blood. The case was brought to the tribunal because currently the Red Cross the largest national blood collection agency enforces a ban on donations by men who have had sex with men, and people feel this is tantamount to discrimination.

The Tasmanian Gay & Lesbian Rights Group is fighting the ban. They said the ban is immoral for three reasons.

"1. It puts lives at risk by reducing the pool of potential blood donors at a time when blood is in short supply.

2. It stigmatises gay and bisexual men as a threat to public health.

3. It wrongly portrays male-to-male sex as inherently a health risk, and sends out the irresponsible public health message that heterosexual sex is health-risk free."

Please contact the tribunal and demand an end to the archaic and discriminatory ban.

Email: ADT@justice.tas.gov.au

The Anti-Discrimination Tribunal
23 - 25 Liverpool Street
HOBART TAS 7000

Telephone: (03) 6233 8372

Fax: (03) 6233 5355

Please also take the time to contact the Red Cross and express your views.

Robert Tickner
Chief Executive Officer
Red Cross National Office
Postal: PO Box 196 Carlton Vic 3053
Telephone: 03 9345 1800
Facsimile: 03 9348 2513
Email: natinfo@redcross.org.au


The Chief Executive Officer
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
GPO Box 5103
MELBOURNE VIC 3001
Contact Form: Click Here

For more info on the men who began the battle or to get involved in blood-ban activism in Tasmania contact Rodney Croome at 0409 010 668 or Michael Cain at 0400 734 798.