For some reason, I just thought of this when I was getting out of the shower:

Last Sunday, when C & I and Bill & Ben were sitting round their dining room table eating Chinese take-out naked (except Bill, who had some clothes on), the conversation came round to C's piercings. Bill was simultaneously fascinated and freaked out by his nipple piercings. C mentioned that he was annoyed that he couldn't give blood for 12 months after getting pierced, and Bill laughed and said,

"Twleve months? You're banned from giving blood for life now".

I was only vaguely aware of this, but apparently the blood donation service bans all men who have had sex with men from giving blood for life. Bill said that it didn't matter if you were tested, you were still banned because of 'as-yet undiscovered diseases'. Yes, men who have sex with men are banned from giving blood "just in case" they carry a disease that hasn't been discovered yet.

Call me cynical, but that just seems like paranoia bordering on the usual homophobia to me. Why not, in that case, ban all people who have sex with other people from giving blood, because let's face it - if there's going to be another sexual disease epidemic it's not going to necessarily start with or stick to gay men, is it?

Of course, C can just lie to the blood people, as I'm sure tens of thousands of bi men who aren't "out" already do. Even though we practice safe sex (of course) we're still planning on getting tested on a regular basis - we're both more at risk of STDs than your average couple. And donated blood is tested post-donation anyway.

Apparently I'm also banned from giving blood for twelve months from the last time I have sex with a man who has sex with men (are you keeping up? LOL). Again, that's dumb. If I've caught a hitherto-undiscovered sexual disease from my man who has sex with men, do they think it's going to have vanished from my body within 12 months just because I'm straight? As opposed to staying in my body for life if I were a gay man?

Duh. It's just a really dumb policy. Not that I ever gave blood before (I'm too squeamish), but it was important to C, and he's been made to choose between giving blood or his sexuality.

Anyhow.

I am thinking about the 22nd lots. Thinking that this time we're not going to just do a straight swap. However, I'm not sure how one orchestrates multiple-person positions at an orgy - you can't just say "Right, you lie there, you put that in your mouth, you hold this... OK, everyone, fuck!" *snort*

Next time, I really fancy fucking Bill, although I'm shy about wearing the rig around other people because it looks so damn stupid. And he might not even want me to fuck him, since he was fairly uncomfortable around me last time (though that didn't stop us from making out :-)

C has been emailing a girl whose personal ad he answered. She's in a relationship and investigating polyamory with her boyfriend. She's invited C (and myself) to go to a goth club night on June 13th - C wants to go, I'm not so sure because I'd like him to socialise himself. I don't think the invite was a "date" invite, though, because she's going to be with her mates. I dunno, I'll probably go with him. The club looks a bit daunting from the pics on the website, though - quite cliquey, and I hate cliquey clubs. Plus everyone in the pics is dressed very alternative, and I would not fit in (C with his purple hair and piercings will, though). Call me paranoid. I just hate being the square in a room full of alterna-people.

OK, I have to go study.