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Gender Identity and Blood Donation
I am a long-time regular blood donor to the American Red Cross. I’ve always found it an easy way to “give back” to my community. Being tall, giving a pint is easy for me to do. I also used to enjoy the post-donation treats, but my revised way of eating has placed those snacks off-limits.
On my most recent visit, I had taken the “RapidPass” online, where one answers 30 or so questions on one’s lifestyle choices and how they may impact what I’m about to donate. I’m thinking with that out of the way, starting my donation should be quick. I sit down with my American Red Cross assistant interview, and he begins;
“How do you wish to identify? He or she?”
“Wait … what?”
“Please let me know which pronoun I should use for the rest of your time here.”
“Your excellency isn’t a pronoun, is it?”
Dead, humorless eyes stare back. He (er, I presume he) simply waits for me to give him an answer.
“I have the same set between my legs I had on my last visit.” Sigh. “He.”
This interaction leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The tiny minority of people with gender dysphoria are now “wagging the tail” where it matters. That people whom are pathologically obsessed with demanding that reality and language “bend the knee” to their delusional fiction is one thing. That the American Red Cross is willing to indulge and enable their pathology is simply wrong.
Oh, and that blood from people whom call apples bananas is now in the health system. Lord knows how well they’ve wrongly answered the otherwise straightforward questions they’ve answered to satisfy an agenda of their own making.
@Skyler suggests that the ARC doesn’t need my blood. It may be time to find another donation service, or stop altogether. I am persuaded. If so, however, I do wish to continue donating, but to whom?
Thoughts?
Published in Culture
Next visit, tell the ARC that your pronoun is “Fred.”
Or, that “Your Excellency” self-identifies as a pronoun.
Skip the Red Cross and go right to a hospital. That’s where it’s going to be used and that’s where the ARC makes its money. (They charge anywhere from $130-150 per pint.)
The nearest hospital doesn’t collect blood, but there is a competing service, and they now have my attention. Just as long as the next time I sit down at this alternative blood donation interview and hear; “How do you wish to self-identify?”
To which I’ll respond; “I self-identify as absent. See ya.”
I have been told the same by several of my nursing lady friends. I donate directly to the hospital, AAMC. The phlebotomy center is located in the Sajak Pavillion.
Yes that Pat Sajak.
I’d rather spin the wheel for phlebotomy
Than be a Democrat with a lobotomy.
@fredhoustan, Rex Hospital has joined with this group. I cannot guarantee they won’t ask the same question about gender, but we will gladly accept your donation. Rex has the same question on our registration form. Most of us just choose not to ask the question and skip it. What can I say. I work with a bunch of rebels.
“Well, if You can’t tell by looking at Me, then go ahead and take My blood and analyze the chromosomes, then You should know how to identify Me. Or is science not good enough anymore?”
I love this comment!
I would have said “She”. And then stared at him while insisting he refer to my burly, bearded self as she. To see if there was someone in there who would look back with a “what the f are we doing?”, or see if I was truly in the presence of a pod person.
Sigh. Rex collection donations at my church in Apex. I’ll give them ONE try.
Maybe I should self-identify as a lizard. Why not?
Or go “pronoun confused,” as in “I prefer she/it…. in that order.”
Or complete anti-pronoun: “Hay, man. Jimmy don’t believe in no [finger quote] pronouns [finger quote]. Pronouns ain’t nothing but dead white man patriarchy rules to keep [look at employee’s name tag] Tom from acknowledging Jimmy’s existence, man….
I like this idea.
Since we’re talking about blood donations, you could always self-identify as a vampire.
“I identify as highly offended.”
I would have walked out.
Keep donating – it is a good cause and The American Red Cross has had more than its share of disasters to handle lately – the weird gender questions are stupid, but your donation saves lives. Love your funny answers through – keep ’em coming – except when you ask to be addressed as Your Excellency, say it with a straight face, squinting and the tone of Donald Trump – ha ha!
I intend to, just a different service, for now. Additionally, the UNC/Rex service @blondie identifies is local, which might be an added benefit.
I do hope that the ARC sees blow-back for kneeling to this false god and makes things right. But I shan’t hold my breath.
“Don’t. Touch. Jimmy!”
I am reminded of a story that William Manchester tells in his book, Goodbye Darkness, about his father who was wounded during World War I and taken to a hospital. After they discovered that he wasn’t going to die and started to treat him Red Cross people came around selling cigarettes to the patients. Manchester’s father had no money, so he was unable to get any until Salvation Army volunteers came through and provided free services to the wounded.
The fact that cigarettes were probably the last thing any of the wounded needed should not be considered as part of the issue. The fact that the Red Cross was attempting to benefit from providing services to wounded veterans certainly is. Manchester said that he would never give any contribution to the Red Cross, that the Salvation Army was where is chose to donate instead.
I taught Advanced First Aid and Emergency Care classes for the Red Cross for many years, as well as CPR. The classes I taught ran 60 hours. I gladly donated my time for that purpose since I saw the direct benefit to those I trained. I would never give the Red Cross any money or blood. I would always attempt to donate those things directly to those who were in need at the time they needed it.
I’ve said before that I’m going with “m’lord” when asked. Now I think I’ll insist on a tug of the forelock when they say it.
How about the US Military?
Cause we have the same damn drill at the Army Hospital I work in….
Are there no Skid Rows?
I know a lot of people who had the same experiences in WWII and later wars.
Just be sure they know what you’re talking about.
One just has to demonstrate the act properly, such as here…
If you have a “special” blood type you might check with the peds or NICU in your hospital. Tiny ones need special baby blood, I’m told, and only some adult donors are special. My husband is extra special as he is O for Babies so his blood works for all. They like having known donors ready to go for vulnerable tots. Often he’s able to make it a directed donation so there is no charge.
There is a particular virus that is present in most peoples’ blood, which normally does no harm. I can’t remember the name of the virus. Babies must be given blood from people who are free of this virus. There’s a box on the paperwork to mark such blood. I lack this virus, and people always get excited when I donate and they see that my blood can be given to infants. If I ever get a transfusion, the odds are that I will lose this ability.
I’ve donated for decades, via a local blood bank. They recently sold out to the ARC. I asked why, and was told that it is a product of Obamacare. As that law has driven small hospitals out of business, or more often resulted in large corporations buying them out, the large corporations prefer to deal with larger blood bank systems. Enter ARC.
A perfect example of government helping the little guy.
The ARC does good deeds. Miserly good deeds, but good deeds nonetheless.