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Dealing with the Red Cross

KarenPayne

Entry posted by KarenPayne

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Everyday I have an hour lunch at work and usually take a 15 to 30 minute walk around the city. Today there was a sign up at the Red Cross asking for blood donations so I was inspired to drop in to see if I could give blood today. 

I walk in, ask if they could get blood from my in 30 minutes? They said that is possible. So I say the last time I was in was as a male. Got the usually statement such as "no way" so I produced my former driver licence and she stares at both for about thirty seconds, looks up, looks at both pictures again and then looks up and says, amazing.

I am then taken to a interview room (which they have done in the past), ask me a few questions then she says I have to ask my supervisor something. Comes back in five minutes and says if I want to donate I must use my born gender rather than my current gender.

I had many ways to reply but kept it dirt simple when she said "is that okay" I replied with "well I am female now, that's all that should matter and decline". She responded, I don't blame you at all and thanks for coming in.

If I had not told them about my transition all would had been fine but that is past history now. Would I do it different if I could go back in time knowing what I know now? Yes as the original reason was to link up my past blood donations with my current identity unless there was a crisis and then more likely than not they could care less. 

Bottom line for me is honesty.

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MonicaPz

Dear Karen and Mikah,

Could not help but recall that the Red Cross used to refuse the blood of people of color.

Should I get struck by a car and am bleeding out in the street, I would not care if the Good Samaritans, EMTs, nurses and doctors gender identity was.  

A friend of mine told me he would never let a doctor that was a person of color treat him. Couldn't help but ask, "would you feel the same way if it was an emergency, and no other doctor was available?"

Feel honesty is about what is true NOW, and you are a woman NOW.  My suggestion would be to donate blood elsewhere!

Your friend,

Monica

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Sara17

I don't know about the American Red Cross, but Canadian Blood Services has been pretty discriminatory in the past.

Under Canadian Blood Services' policy, trans women are men

Transgender blood donor turned away in Vancouver

I don't know if things have improved recently or not.

 A friend of mine told me he would never let a doctor that was a person of color treat him.​

 Monica, I don't mean to speak ill of your friend... but I am constantly amazed that there are actually people who still think this way. :(

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KarenPayne

Karen,

Applaud your desire to contribute blood. I was wondering what criteria might cause them to shy away from past donors being "eligible" for donation. I hit this website and looked at they're donation criteria.The only thing that stands out to me is your recent, and obviously successful surgical topography.

I think they will take your blood, I DO THINK they may have gotten a little spooked because you've been under the knife recently.

I can understand why the Red Cross is being VERY strict with donors. They have made some pretty awesome screw ups in the past because of inadequate vetting.

Anyway, just a thought. Here's the link for the website:  https://www.bonfils.org/index.cfm/donate-blood/eligibility/

Veronica

​Veronica, they will only take my blood if I register as male, not female which I will not register male. Bottom line was that I wanted to let them know about my past donations which I look back on as a mistake. If I had not mentioned that then they would now have me registered as female and have my blood.

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KarenPayne

Veronica, in regards to "Trans Triangle", it would not be so bad if I had other situations similar to this one but this one simply to me, is such a shocker that they would not waiver the gender issue for much needed blood especially with me being B- which only two percent of the population has which is listed third from the bottom of the type list.

Any ways it's complete Boba Fett (for the unknowing, this is from Star Wars)

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KarenPayne

Beings that I am a senior developer for developing web and sometimes (use to be the reverse) desktop apps I have the power to slap people like that into the ground LOL. I hear by bestow, to you the same slapping privilege if you happen to deal with this person again.

GUI dipping the right database, if they are in doubt they might come back and say "by GUI do you mean the user interface" which is stupid and if I was on the receiving end of this question I would simply say (if not the original developer) I will check into it.

Yep, B- is rare for them. Matter of fact they would call me every eight weeks to pry more out of me.

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MonicaPz

Dear Sara,

Suspect the Canadian Blood Service confuses transwomen with Gaymales.  

Bottom line, transwomen ARE women, and there are Gaymales who are in happy, monogamous relationships, and everyone is an INDIVIDUAL, and should be evaluated as such!

Your friend,

Monica

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