Hibernophobia and Homophobia

British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) reportedly said

The Irish hate our order, our civilization, our enterprising industry, our pure religion. This wild, reckless, indolent, uncertain and superstitious race has no sympathy with the English character. Their ideal of human felicity is an alternation of clannish broils and coarse idolatry. Their history describes an unbroken circle of bigotry and blood.

That is about as clear an example of Hibernophobia, anti-Irish sentiment, as I can find. A more succinct example is in the sign pictured right, something that was seen in many shop and factory windows in nineteenth century America and the UK. Another example, below, meant perhaps to be funny, shows more Irish racism.

For years I’ve thought about anti-Irish sentiment whenever I’ve passed a sign advertising a blood drive. I’ve wanted to grab a felt-tip marker and write across it “Gays Need Not Apply,” because ever since 1983 gay men who have ever –EVER! -- had sex with another man since 1977 have been barred from donating blood. After 9/11, after Katrina, after the Boston Marathon bombings, as calls went out for blood donations, gay men were turned away.

I have complained bitterly to the Red Cross, but they say they are only following federal guidelines. Those guidelines were put in place when we knew very little about AIDS, its transmission and its course. You may remember that, at the very beginning, it was sometimes referred to as the “Gay Plague.” It was understandable, though misguided, that public officials, seeking to protect the blood supply, limited donors.

Very soon, after a blood test identifying tainted blood was introduced, it was obvious that this blanket refusal to accept blood from gay men was misguided and based on homophobia, not science. But the policy remained in place.

To this day, I cannot donate blood unless I lie about my sexual history. I have been in a monogamous relationship with Ransom for over twenty-eight years, but I cannot donate blood. It’s unbelievable, as well as humiliating and counter-productive.

Today, finally we learn that this hateful, homophobic policy may finally change. Bloomberg reports 

A U.S. advisory panel is poised to recommend for the first time that the 31-year ban preventing gay and bisexual men from donating blood should be partially ended, placing the nation’s policy in line with other countries.

Men who had sex with men anytime since 1977 are barred from giving blood in the U.S., a policy that dates back to 1983 because of concern that the AIDS virus could be transmitted through blood transfusions. Groups like the American Red Cross say that risk is infinitesimal in many cases, not enough to justify a full ban that prevents much-needed donations.

AFT!