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Two quick comments:
Can anyone provide a link to the referenced study at Seaton Healthcare? A Google did not yield any connections.

It is not just sexual orientation that leads to a refusal to accept a blood donation. There are prohibitions against types of drug use, certain prescription medicines, people with a variety of illnesses, and people who have been in an extensive list of countries within recent YEARS.

To directly answer your last question: I would not want to find out that I or one of my loved ones had been saved from one disease only to discover that they had been infected with another one, perhaps equally deadly,

I most certainly would care. Homosexual sex is the primary transmission route of the AIDS virus.
Your feeble, politically correct attempt to paint homosexuals as no more likely to carry the HIV/AIDS virus than the heterosexual population is not only a lie, but a lie that can kill people.

Great letter, Angela. I too was turned away from giving blood in 1988. It is my understanding that donated blood goes through extensive testing anyway to search for many diseases including HIV.

Red Cross is a private organization and allowed to set what rules it feels are appropriate. You can find their guidelines here: http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html

neo is correct that homosexuals are more likely to transmit HIV than heterosexuals: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm/resources/factsheets/msm.htm

It is my opinion, that better testing of the blood would solve the blood shortage problem. Most of the gay folks I know are very caring and willing to help people if they can.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but neo's comments are exactly the ones I would expect him to make.....too dang funny!

... yea, TLC, but according to Gay Tony's link, noe's correct.

Thanks, cRo-...uh, JDR. :]

From gaytony's link:

"There is a rare form of HIV called Type O that is found in western Africa. The available tests for HIV do not always detect the Type O strain. This means that blood programs must take special precautions to keep this virus out of the blood supply by not taking blood donations from those who have been where the virus is found."

Pretty good odds you will never contract the HIV virus from blood donated by a homosexual, but if we're talking about a son or daughter in the prime of their life, are "pretty good odds" good enough?

"Too dang funny!"...exactly what I would expect from the house ignoramus.

In answer to your last question, Angela. Yes I would care.
oxymoron, in answer to your post, signed Yosemite. (picture both guns blasting away)

How 'bout barring everyone who's had unprotected sex (any type) since 1977? Wouldn't that make more sense?

It seems the current screening processes for donated blood are effective, can't remember too much press recently about people becoming infected with HIV from donated blood.

Facing a life or death situation in which properly screened donated blood meant life, most would opt for life regardless of who donated the blood.

From CDC:

Currently, the risk of infection with HIV in the United States through receiving a blood transfusion or blood products is extremely low and has become progressively lower, even in geographic areas with high HIV prevalence rates.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa15.htm

probably a dumb question but...........if as some of the gay community says that homosexuality is genetic - is it possible if you receive blood from a gay person that you yourself might become gay ?

"f as some of the gay community says that homosexuality is genetic..."

Homosexuality could be genetic, but the research I have seen tends to show more commonly, a different cause. The cause, at lease experimentally, has been shown to be fluctuation in testosterone levels in mothers during certain stages of pregnancy.

Testosterone levels (in addition to a lot of other hormones like cortisol) increase naturally when humans (male or female) encounter difficult situations, i.e. stress. The dramatic change in these hormone levels affect the way that a baby's brain develops. This very much depends on the sex of the child as well.

Interesting question Buz. Even if homosexuality is genetic which I believe it is, I don't think it would be passed along in a blood transfusion anymore than changing somone's hair or eye color would be passed along.

Gay blood can't make you gay, but it can make you dress better, converse more wittily, and really like Judy Garland.

For Pete's sake, people. Blood doesn't change your DNA. It does carry viruses.

Buz .. seriously .. leave the sciences to others .. like Bishop for one.

You too Tony!