The latest of the Student Association’s proposals is poised to join the ranks of this year’s student-backed movements against major corporations and policies. Along with the Killer Coke campaign and the more recent anti-Taser movement, the newest attempt has the campus turning a more critical eye to the University’s partnership with the Red Cross.
But unlike the movement to ban Coca-Cola on campus, this newest buzz is aimed at a much higher target: the Food and Drug Administration.
Along with the Red Cross, the SA is making a noble push against the FDA’s policy barring gay blood donors, and this time, the SA is hoping to use the University as a tool for change.
Despite the undeniable necessity of the Red Cross’ efforts to keep the country’s blood supply stocked, the FDA’s policy on gay donors is baffling. Certainly, the implicit association made between HIV/AIDS and homosexuality is an antiquated one, but it goes beyond being simply insulting and inaccurate.
One may think, after all, that there are worse things than being told you should keep your blood.
But policies like the FDA’s carries more weight and more authority because of its federal status. When a message as incongruous to reality and fact as this one is broadcast by the FDA, it is far more damaging to the perception of the disease and homosexuals. It has, after all, been nearly three decades since the association between homosexuality and HIV/AIDS was forgivable. But now, in a climate of heightened awareness and sophisticated tracking of the disease, it is clear the the policy is dated and unjustifiable.
Historically, university centers have been at the epicenter of social movements, and students and faculty have used intellectual arguments to make statements against inequality and failed policies. At a temple of learning like Binghamton University, it is unconscionable that discriminatory practices continue to be hidden in the folds of a beneficial organization, and it is refreshing to see members of the SA making such a sophisticated argument against the FDA’s policy.
Certainly, there is no question that the Red Cross provides an indispensable service for this country, and we’re glad to see that they are working with the SA on this mission. We can only hope that the University’s administration takes the lead as an institution of higher education, and seeks to educate the FDA on their disappointment.