Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) voted to keep the ban on Canadian Blood Services’ (CBS) use of CUSA spaces at their council meeting July 9.
CUSA’s official policy on Canadian Blood Services states “CUSA will not support The Canadian Red Cross in its attempts to solicit blood donations on campus until such time that The Canadian Red Cross ceases to use homophobic/gender-exclusive screening policies on their donor applications.”
The references to the Canadian Red Cross are the result of an error made by a previous CUSA executive, according to vice-president (student issues) Hayley Dobson, and in practice refer to the Canadian Blood Services. This CBS policy prevents men who have had sex with men (MSM) from donating blood, categorically excluding all sexually active homosexual men.
“The angle [of the motion] is to save lives,” said science councillor Gina Parker, who presented the motion to lift the ban.
Carleton does hold blood donation clinics in non-CUSA spaces, such as the Fenn Lounge. The next two clinics will take place at the end of September and November, according to CBS phone-line staff member Patricia Paqette.
Parker said if the motion were passed, the university could have CBS in CUSA spaces and campaign against its MSM policy at the same time.
Thirteen councillors voted against 11 supporters of the motion.
“By overturning our policy of non-cooperation [with CBS] and education, we are removing our voice from lobbying efforts and pressuring the CBS to change their policy,” Sarah McCue said.
“[Passing this motion] says to students that we know that they’re being discriminated against, and we don’t care. And it says to CBS that we know that they’re discriminating, but we don’t care.”
Science councillor Andrew Kwai echoed Parker’s idea that CUSA can support CBS while still opposing the MSM blood ban. He said having CBS in CUSA spaces would promote life-saving blood donation as well as provide a forum for Carleton students to communicate their opposition to the MSM policy to CBS staff and educate donors about its discriminatory nature.
“CUSA lifting this ban and allowing CBS [in our spaces] does not mean we’re anti-gay,” Kwai said.
“If CBS is on our campus, if we’re helping to sponsor a blood drive, then we also have to give out information packets that say they do this, they have a clause against gay people, let’s try to do something about that.
“So it’s part of our job, if we pass this, to help lift [the MSM] ban.”
Engineering councillor Erick Hanson disagreed.
“I think something needs to be done to further promote blood donation and save lives, but this isn’t it,” he said.
CUSA president Alexander Golovko said he abstained from voting to show his willingness to move forward and work with whichever decision the council made.
“At the end of the day, [councillors] are the ones here to keep the executive accountable, and I thought I needed to be accountable to the entire population,” Golovko said.
CBS refuses donations from MSM to avoid the risk of patients receiving blood potentially contracting HIV, said Annie Barrette, the CBS spokesperson at the meeting.
“The (CBS’) policy is rooted on evidence and not on sexual orientation,” Barrette said.
Barrette cited Public Health Agency of Canada’s research which shows MSM continue to account for the greatest number of new HIV infections each year in Canada – 44 per cent in the year of 2009.
Parker said she was not sure why 13 people voted against the motion.
However, she said “people not thinking of the end goal, which is saving lives” may have been a reason.
“I think we had a great discussion,” Parker said at the end of the meeting.
