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Red Cross Accused of “Playing on Fear” as Gay Blood Ban Closes
Tribunal decision expected next year
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LANGUAGE OPTIONS This article is only available in English. For online instant translation in selected other languages, see below. |
HOBART, November 17, 2008 – The landmark Tasmanian case on gay blood donation has ended with claims the Red Cross is “playing on fear”.
Peter Tree SC, lawyer for Launceston man, Michael Cain, who was refused the opportunity to donate blood in 2004 when he revealed to Red Cross staff he was in a sexual relationship with another man, has told the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal that the Red Cross has exaggerated the HIV risk associated with male-to-male sex.
“Witnesses for the Red Cross have consistently over-stated the risk of men who have sex with men being infected with HIV or passing it on”, Mr Tree said.
“The Red Cross has played on fear of infection, fear of the unknown, and fear of harm, none of which are borne out by the available evidence.”
Mr Tree was presenting the closing submission in a case which began in mid-August and has heard evidence from witnesses from across Australia and around the world.
Mr Cain said he believes he has had a fair and just hearing from the Tribunal.
“Sometimes I feared the avalanche of material presented by the Red Cross would obscure the basic message that HIV is passed on by unsafe sex not gay sex, but I think we have been able to expose the irrelevance of most of this material and keep the focus where it belongs, on the need for more safe blood,” Mr Cain said.
The Tribunal now faces the mammoth task of weighing evidence that runs to several thousand pages.
It is expected to hand down its decision within six to twelve months.
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SEE ALSO - most recent first
Removing Gay Blood Ban Would Help Save Lives, Lawyer Says. The Red Cross would have more safe blood available for people in need if it accepted blood from gay men who have safe sex at tribunal was told today. (UK Gay News, November 7, 2008)
Gay Blood Donor Case in Australia Hears Final “Crucial” Evidence. Gay activists have described as “crucial” final evidence presented today to the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in a case initiated by Launceston gay man, Michael Cain, against the Australian gay blood ban. (UK Gay News, October 31, 2008)
HIV Researcher Says STIs No Basis for Gay Blood Ban. HIV researcher, Prof John Kaldor, has agreed rates of sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV are not a basis upon which to ban gay men from blood donation. The concession came during evidence from Prof. Kaldor to the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal hearing into gay blood donation which continued in Hobart today. (UK Gay News, September 30, 2008)
HIV Researcher Questions Blanket Gay Blood Ban, But Still Endorses It. In a mixed result for gay blood donation campaigners, a senior HIV researcher has labelled the current ban on gay blood donation as “conservative” but still endorsed it. (UK Gay News, September 29, 2008)
Gay Blood Ban Hearing: Questions for Gay Donors Would Take Too Long, Red Cross Claims. Questions necessary to establish if a potential gay blood donor is able to give blood would take too long, Dr Brenton Wylie, from the Australian Red Cross, told the anti-discrimination Tribunal today. (UK Gay News, August 20, 2008)
Gay Blood Ban Hearing: Red Cross Ignores Concerns from Experts and AMA. The Australian Red Cross has ignored the expert opinion of its chief medical advisor on low risk sexual activity between men, it was claimed today. (UK Gay News, August 19, 2008)
Gay Blood Ban Hearing: Screen Donors for Risky Sex, Not Partner’s Gender – Aids Expert. An Australian Aids expert has told the Tasmanian inquiry into the gay blood ban that it is time for donors to be screened for risky sexual activity, not their partner’s gender. (UK Gay News, August 18, 2008)
HIV Infection From Gay Blood Donation Likely “Once Every 5769 Years”. The Tribunal hearing a case against the Australian Red Cross gay blood ban has been told today that if the current bar on gay blood donation is lifted, a single HIV-positive blood donation from a gay man will slip through clinical screening in Tasmania once every 197 years. (UK Gay News, August 15, 2008)
Bio-Ethicists Address Gay Blood Donor Hearings. Two bio-ethicists today addressed the inquiry underway in Tasmania into gay blood donation. (UK Gay News, August 13, 2008)
Tasmanian ‘Gay Blood’ Inquiry Hears that Safe Sex Works. An inquiry into the current ban on gay blood donation has heard that safe sex is effective in reducing HIV risk. Social researcher, Associate Professor Anne Mitchell, today told the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal that risky sexual activity is not as widespread amongst gay and bisexual men as some studies suggest. Full witness statement of Prof. Anne Mitchell. (UK Gay News, August 12, 2008)
Gay Blood Ban Hearing: Red Cross Accused of “Scare Tactics”. Gay activists have accused the Red Cross of scare tactics on the first day of a hearing into Australia’s gay blood ban, in Hobart today. (UK Gay News, August 7, 2008)
Groundbreaking Gay Blood Ban Case Starts Thursday. The first full hearing in a groundbreaking gay blood ban case begins in Hobart, Tasmania, on Thursday before the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal. (UK Gay News, August 5, 2008)
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Posted: 17 November 2008 at 12:30 (UK time) |
