Red Cross refuses blood donations from homosexuals, Thai human rights group threatens lawsuit

Rome, Italy, Apr 3, 2008 / 10:54 am

The Commission for Human Rights of Thailand has threatened to sue the local Red Cross for discrimination, after the organization said it would not accept blood donations from homosexual males in order to protect against possibly spreading the AIDS virus.

The Red Cross said it has a large quantity of blood contaminated by the HIV virus, most of which was donated by homosexuals.  “The Red Cross has the right to protect its patients who need a blood transfusion to save their lives and therefore we must restrict donors who engage in risky sexual behavior,” the organization said.

However, Naiyana Supapueng of the Commission for Human Rights of Thailand said the decision by the Red Cross amounted to sexual discrimination and threatened to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court.

At the same time, the leader of the Gay Political Group of Thailand, Natee Teerarojjanapongs, who at first opposed the Red Cross decision, said he now accepted it as official statistics confirm that at least 28% of Thailand’s homosexuals are HIV-positive.