Dear Red Cross, I am an O negative donor. I am a fine upstanding citizen and a positive member of the community. I give blood in order to help people. As of now I am being told that I cannot give blood to the Red Cross because I am transsexual. The Red Cross is under the mistaken impression that a transsexual person automatically engages in risky sexual behaviors and excludes us from giving blood. I assure you that the sexual habits of transsexuals are no different than the rest of the population. You are basing discriminatory policies on moral assumptions that just don't ring true. You keep sending Emails to me with the pictures of children who desperately need my blood. One of the positives that came from my having undergone sexual reassignment surgery is the discovery that I am a universal blood donor. Anyone, especially newborns, can use my blood safely. As long as I made donations and my sexual history conformed to your guidlines, ( I was in a monogamous relationship for twenty years), there was no problem. I have always been honest with you on my applications. Now that my situation is different, and I’ve revealed the fact that I’ve dated guys, my attempt to donate at one of your centers resulted in being treated as though my goal is to infect the population with some kind of disease. I am a women in all regards. You are basically telling me that unless I am in a lesbian relationship I can’t give blood. What does my sexual preference have to do with my ability to give blood? A lot of heads turned at the blood donation clinic when I questioned rather loudly, "JUST WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO HAVE SEX WITH?" I am a very health conscious, well educated individual. Why would I of my own accord knowingly want to make someone sick? My goal is the same as yours, I want to save lives and am perfectly willing to give you the desperately needed blood donation every 13 weeks. You really need to do some research and stop basing your policies on hearsay and conservative religious theories. Jennifer Leitham May 4, 2006