Obama's regulatory agencies discriminate against gays

Colorado has a shortage of donated blood. Gay men are not allowed to give blood, because, as Brandon Zelasko, who is gay, writes in today's Denver Post,

The FDA defends itself by claiming that I cannot give blood because it cannot find a question for the screener form that reliably identifies "a subset of MSM (men who have sex with men) ... who do not still have a substantially increased rate of HIV infection."

It bears repeating: The FDA discriminates because it cannot find the right question to effectively pre-screen donors.

Zelasko asserts,

Donor screening should focus on sexual behavior and any use of needles.

The FDA works under the premise that all gay men are, by default, promiscuous and engage in dangerous sexual behavior. My partner and I have been in a committed, monogamous relationship for nine years. That would be relevant information for the FDA to ask about.

All gay men shouldn't be allowed to give blood just for the sake of equality. There are certainly gay men engaging in risky sexual behavior who shouldn't be allowed to give blood, but the same can be said of straight men and women. The point is, the same standard should apply to everyone and my sexual orientation should not automatically disqualify me.