Triskelion, a Brandeis queer support group, circulated a petition at last week's Red Cross blood drive in Sherman Function Hall that protested a governmental policy that prohibits men who have had sex with other men in the past 28 years from donating blood.Arguing that HIV blood testing techniques have improved dramatically since the deferral policy enactment in 1985, the petition states that infected blood can be detected within twelve days using current technology.

"Our point of being here today is just to raise awareness," said Triskelion member Drew Wiechert '06. "A lot of people just aren't aware that the deferment is happening."

The rule was issued by the Food and Drug Administration's Blood Products Advisory Committee's blood acceptance policies.

The Red Cross distributed pamphlets at the drive claiming that while the Red Cross is "sensitive to the concerns of those who feel unfairly excluded from the process of blood donation," it also has a commitment "to provide a safe and ample supply of blood for patients in need."

"The FDA continues to believe that there is scientific justification for screening out all potential donors who are men who have had sex, even once, with another man since 1977, and for screening out the recent (within twelve months) sexual partners of such men," the pamphlet stated.

Triskelion's petition also bemoans the absence of an exemption in FDA policies for low-risk potential donors.

"Some of the faults with the current [FDA] policy are that it doesn't make an exception for men who have been in a long-term monogamous relationship who are actually low risk for HIV," Weichert said.

Citing Red Cross actions at a Blood Products Advisory Committee meeting in 2000, the petition reads, "[The Red Cross] was the single major organization present [at the meeting] urging the FDA to retain its current policy" of deferment.

The American Association of Blood Banks has advocated changing the deferral to 12 months from its current lifetime duration and the idea has been endorsed by several other blood bank associations. This would allow men who have not had sex with other men for more than 12 months to give blood.

The Red Cross has not accepted the proposal.