2008 Woodie Awards
ICC refuses to sponsor blood drive
Council will not endorse drive due to discrimination concerns
Dan Sealana
Issue date: 10/16/06 Section: News
Monday, October 16, 2006
De Anza College's Inter-Club Council will not sponsor the Oct. 31 campus blood drive due to discrimination concerns.
The decision was made by the ICC officers during last Monday's agenda meeting and was not presented to the general ICC assembly for consideration.
ICC Chair of Programs, Jordan Eldridge, said he has nothing against the campus holding a blood drive. However, he said he felt the ICC should not officially endorse it.
"I have no problem with the blood drive," Eldridge said. "I'll be [a very] outspoken person against ICC sponsoring it. And I know the other officers are, too, because there are entire clubs who will be discriminated against."
Because of AIDS concerns, those who are considered at high risk of contracting the disease, including gay men, should not give blood.
According to the American Red Cross Web site, you are "at risk" of contracting AIDS if you:
- have ever used needles to take drugs, steroids or anything not prescribed by your doctor,
- are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977,
- have ever taken money, drugs or other payment for sex since 1977,
- have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above,
- received clotting factor concentrates for a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia, or
- were born in, or lived in, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo.
Eldridge disagrees with the emphasis on homosexuality as a high risk factor for AIDS. "Seventy percent of AIDS victims are straight. It's not a gay disease thing anymore."
Eldridge is also one of the original members of De Anza's "Outlet" club. The purpose of the club is to serve the "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, straight and questioning" population of De Anza. Eldridge said that his involvement in Outlet did not bias his decision about the drive.
"I want to make it clear [that] I'm not in this position for my own good. I actually thought about it and what other clubs would do. I'm not in any decision-making of Outlet."
Although Eldridge was against ICC sponsorship of the blood drive, he said he was not against the event.
"It's a great thing," Eldridge said. "It's saving lives."
Mary Donahue, the faculty adviser for De Anza's Outdoor club, attended Monday's agenda meeting and suggested the ICC sponsor the blood drive.
"Where's the blood going to come from if we're not really, really encouraging people of all ages who can give blood to go give blood?" Donahue told La Voz.
Donahue said she understands why the ICC would not want to sponsor an event that everyone couldn't be involved in. But she noted that gay people are in need of blood as well.
"Gay people could be anywhere from 3 to 10 percent of our population. That means that 97 percent of gay people will either need blood some day or have a really close friend who will need blood some day."
George Smith, ICC Chair, agreed that the ICC should not endorse the blood drive.
"If it wasn't for the limitation, I would totally support ICC getting involved," Smith said.
Smith said he doesn't want club members to feel left out, but he does not believe that excluding people for health reasons is discrimination.
"It's a health issue. It's not a discrimination issue."
Smith still plans to encourage ICC members to donate blood, even if the ICC will not sponsor the event.
"Personally, I'm all for the blood drive. But I'm not just representing myself," Smith said. "I'm representing every member of every club on this campus."
Individual ICC representatives are free to present the idea of the ICC sponsoring the blood drive, even if the ICC officers are against it.
"I'd prefer it go in front of the ICC myself," Smith said.
The Inter-Club Council meets Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Council Chambers. ICC agenda meetings are typically held at 1:30 p.m. Mondays in the Student Council Chambers unless noted otherwise.
De Anza College's Inter-Club Council will not sponsor the Oct. 31 campus blood drive due to discrimination concerns.
The decision was made by the ICC officers during last Monday's agenda meeting and was not presented to the general ICC assembly for consideration.
ICC Chair of Programs, Jordan Eldridge, said he has nothing against the campus holding a blood drive. However, he said he felt the ICC should not officially endorse it.
"I have no problem with the blood drive," Eldridge said. "I'll be [a very] outspoken person against ICC sponsoring it. And I know the other officers are, too, because there are entire clubs who will be discriminated against."
Because of AIDS concerns, those who are considered at high risk of contracting the disease, including gay men, should not give blood.
According to the American Red Cross Web site, you are "at risk" of contracting AIDS if you:
- have ever used needles to take drugs, steroids or anything not prescribed by your doctor,
- are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977,
- have ever taken money, drugs or other payment for sex since 1977,
- have had sexual contact in the past 12 months with anyone described above,
- received clotting factor concentrates for a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia, or
- were born in, or lived in, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo.
Eldridge disagrees with the emphasis on homosexuality as a high risk factor for AIDS. "Seventy percent of AIDS victims are straight. It's not a gay disease thing anymore."
Eldridge is also one of the original members of De Anza's "Outlet" club. The purpose of the club is to serve the "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, straight and questioning" population of De Anza. Eldridge said that his involvement in Outlet did not bias his decision about the drive.
"I want to make it clear [that] I'm not in this position for my own good. I actually thought about it and what other clubs would do. I'm not in any decision-making of Outlet."
Although Eldridge was against ICC sponsorship of the blood drive, he said he was not against the event.
"It's a great thing," Eldridge said. "It's saving lives."
Mary Donahue, the faculty adviser for De Anza's Outdoor club, attended Monday's agenda meeting and suggested the ICC sponsor the blood drive.
"Where's the blood going to come from if we're not really, really encouraging people of all ages who can give blood to go give blood?" Donahue told La Voz.
Donahue said she understands why the ICC would not want to sponsor an event that everyone couldn't be involved in. But she noted that gay people are in need of blood as well.
"Gay people could be anywhere from 3 to 10 percent of our population. That means that 97 percent of gay people will either need blood some day or have a really close friend who will need blood some day."
George Smith, ICC Chair, agreed that the ICC should not endorse the blood drive.
"If it wasn't for the limitation, I would totally support ICC getting involved," Smith said.
Smith said he doesn't want club members to feel left out, but he does not believe that excluding people for health reasons is discrimination.
"It's a health issue. It's not a discrimination issue."
Smith still plans to encourage ICC members to donate blood, even if the ICC will not sponsor the event.
"Personally, I'm all for the blood drive. But I'm not just representing myself," Smith said. "I'm representing every member of every club on this campus."
Individual ICC representatives are free to present the idea of the ICC sponsoring the blood drive, even if the ICC officers are against it.
"I'd prefer it go in front of the ICC myself," Smith said.
The Inter-Club Council meets Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Council Chambers. ICC agenda meetings are typically held at 1:30 p.m. Mondays in the Student Council Chambers unless noted otherwise.
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