Rant... (Rated 18!)

Please note this will contain a lot of swearing, it may offend those of you who have issues and for that I will not apologise.

Today has been a bit of a day of it! The weather sucked so I decided to nip down to Sainsburys at lunchtime. They have joined some government initiative for lower rates or some shite to stop selling ciggies. Now I'm a grown up, I'm aware that I shouldn't smoke, I realise that it's bad for me but I like it and I am a grown up and I shall decide for myself... because I'm almost fucking 40 and I don't need some jumped up government arsehole telling me what I can and can't do, especially when it's perfectly legal. I can't even begin to tell you how cross it made me. Whatever happened to choice? Why does someone else get to decide where I can buy my ciggies? Now fair enough if Mr Sainsbury himself had chosen to stop selling smokes, I don't have any issue with Mr M&S who has never sold ciggies but to accept some random fucking bribe from the government when they're making a total arse of all things everything... well shame on you Mr Sainsburys, incidentally I notice you haven't stopped selling booze! You can shove your supermarket right up your arse and I shall vote with my feet!

Then I get an email from the blood donation people asking me 'Can I give a little more?' Now... don't get me wrong, I used to give blood... I think I have a badge somewhere. It's a very good thing to do. I stopped after I had my first tattoo done, you had to wait a year. Then there was a piercing and another tattoo so I didn't bother to do it for a few years, I have no idea what the theory behind that was as it appears to have a four month wait time now. So I eventually got over my tattoos/piercing phase for a while and decided I would go back to donate some blood. I got a whole heap of forms that I'd never had before... they used to just prick your thumb, tell you your blood type and whip you through to the school hall and away you went... rich tea and a cuppa afterwards, jobs a goodun. Not so these days, forms about forms. So I duly read through their questions and in fact they're pretty offensive.

I look after my sexual health. I have regular check ups and I have safe sex (sorry Mum... well I'm not but you know what I mean!) but there is a section on their form that says:

Who Can't Give Blood?

(I have issues with all of this!)

You should not give blood for 12 months after sex with:

1. A man (if you're a male). Men who have had anal or oral sex with another man (with or without a condom) are deferred from blood donation for 12 months.

2. A man who has had sex with another man (if you're a female).

3. A prostitute

If I'm in an accident, I don't give a toss who gives me blood, as long as it's been fully tested and is perfectly acceptable for use. Nor do I give a toss who gets my blood, if it saves their life then why would I care?! But to say, out loud, on their website and get away with it *said in my most incredulous voice* that you cannot give blood if you are a gay man and have had sex with another man in the last 12 months. Effectively, you've just wiped out our whole gay community from giving blood unless they're celibate. Why?

Now I get that there are people with issues... but what I don't get is that I can have sex with whomever I choose, tell no-one, go and give blood and no-one is any the wiser. I'm pretty sure there are other people who do not disclose their sexual history on the form. I don't necessarily know who's slept with the people I've slept with or who they've slept with. I don't know their sexual history. It's not my business. However, what I don't understand is the relevance to blood donation. It's not like they're not going to test it now is it?

I emailed them today to ask the reasoning behind these 'guidelines' and was told in their response that I am eligible to give blood. Well now you patrionising arsehole, that wasn't my question was it?!! Seriously... today I am losing the will to be pleasant to anyone! How is this okay? Who is this okay with? The people who are homophobic? Why shouldn't everyone have the right to donate blood? I'd understand if they weren't having safe sex or were injecting themselves with drugs, but if you have clean sexual health, are looking after yourself, and are responsible, why should you not be allowed to give blood? Why not! Can anyone tell me why not? Minimising the risk? Saving some lazy arse from testing the donated blood? Why not?

So the answer to the original question is no. I cannot give a little more until some dinosaur updates his fucking guidelines and has equal rights for everyone.

I saw a post yesterday on Facebook... it said:

"I hate the word homophobia. It is not a phobia; you are not scared. You are an asshole."

Not a truer word!

Disclaimer: Do not fuck with a woman who has PMT by denying her wine or cigarettes and palming her off with condesending, patronising, non-informative answers because presumably there is not feasible answer!!

Day 31 of the dryathlon almost complete! *watches clock*

76 sleeps!