Gay man told blood challenge has stalled
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A court in Beijing has thwarted attempts by a Chinese man to sue a Red Cross center in the capital after his blood donation was turned down because he was gay, Beijing Times reported on Thursday.
The man, an editor identified by his pen name Wang Zizheng, filed the lawsuit last month at a court in Haidian in northwest Beijing, in what local media said was the first such case in China.
According to Beijing Times, an official at the court told Wang on Wednesday his case had been rejected. No reason was given.
Wang launched the legal action after he went to donate blood in early June. He filled out a health questionnaire and indicated he was gay and was then told he could not donate blood, previous reports said.
According to regulations issued by China's health ministry and published by the national blood transfusion association, "homosexuals and those with multiple sex partners" are not eligible to be donors. The World Health Organization also says gay men are not encouraged to be blood donors.
Wang, who said he had been the victim of discrimination, was seeking an apology from the blood centre and permission to become a donor.
Homosexuality was considered a mental disorder in China until 2001, and gay advocates say homosexuals still face crushing social and family pressure, despite gradual steps toward greater acceptance.
Experts estimate there are thousands of lesbians in China, but observers say the number could be higher because many people still refuse to "come out".
In December, the government warned that homosexual transmission of HIV/AIDS was gaining pace.
According to the Beijing Times, Wang said he will "not give up on his duties", despite the setback. He said he plans to seek justice through other means.
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