A gay man suing Canadian Blood Services for the right to donate blood unknowingly had syphilis when he lied about his sexual history so the agency would take a donation from him in 2002, an Ottawa court heard Monday. (…)
Freeman is suing the agency, claiming he didn’t answer the question truthfully because Canadian Blood Services violated his Charter right to equality regardless of his sexual orientation when it asked him whether he had ever had sex with other men, even once, since 1977. (…)
LeFebour said Freeman, who is expected to take the witness stand Tuesday, sent anonymous e-mails to the blood service in June 2002 admitting he lied on the donor screening questionnaire to “stimulate discussion, research and change.”
Fiona Campbell, lawyer for gay rights group Egale, said the “outdated” question used by Canadian Blood Services fails to take into account gay and bisexual men’s already disadvantaged position.
It is “reflecting and reinforcing the stereotype that all gay men are diseased…”
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Actually, your client’s the one doing a great job with that.
