A friend of mine's partner died about a week ago. He informed me today that the deceased's organs were deemed unacceptable for donation. The reason? Not because he was a smoker, but because he was gay. The justification is the assumption that gay men are high-risk due to their tendency to engage in sexual activity with many partners which leads to the transmission of HIV. Even if the organs tested HIV negative, the virus can lie dormant.
If the family of the deceased didn't disclose his sexual orientation, would they have asked? What if I was in need of a liver transplant? This man could have saved someone's live, but because he liked boys, his liver is unfit?
This man had been in a committed relationship for 5 years! Healthcare professionals need to be asking about BEHAVIOR, not sexual orientation. This law is completely discriminatory and homophobic.
