Sunday, July 22, 2012

Gay discrimination claim against blood bank

Gay discrimination claim against blood bank

Michael Cain has begun his case in the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in Hobart. (ABC News: Pete Harmsen)

A Tasmanian gay man is accusing the Red Cross of discrimination for refusing to allow him to donate blood.

Michael Cain has begun his case in the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in Hobart.

Mr Cain began his fight in 2005 after the Launceston blood collection centre refused his offer to donate blood because he said he had been in a sexual relationship with another man in the previous year.

The policy of the Red Cross is to defer such donors for 12 months.

Mr Cain says donors should be screened for the safety of their sexual practices, not the gender of their partners.

His lawyer, Peter Tree, told the tribunal it was a straightforward case of direct discrimination against his client on the basis of sexual orientation and lawful sexual activity. He said to screen on the basis of sexual orientation rather than the nature of sexual activity was illogical and medically flawed.

The Red Cross will give its opening address later today.

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