Of all the gay-related debates, blood donations remain one of the most contentious and potentially important.

The world's blood banks claim the lavender set represent a health risk. While some gays are content to keep their cells to themselves, Australian national Michael Cain's not taking this shit lying down: he's filed a lawsuit against his nation's Red Cross for discriminating against his plasma.

And, rather than simply playing the gay card, McCain's lawyer's using actual logic:

Mr Cain’s lawyer, Peter Tree SC, told the Tribunal that there are gay men who have a much lower risk of HIV than many heterosexuals and that the blood from these men could save lives if it was accepted.

Mr Tree also accused the Red Cross of exaggerating the HIV risk associated with gay sex to “extreme” levels.

“The Red Cross has assisted in perpetuating the stereotype that gay sex is risky and unhealthy,” he said.

Mr Tree went on to say that the Red Cross has known since 2001 that there is no medical evidence to support a ban on men engaging in a range of sexual activities with other men, including oral sex.

“This alone should compel the Tribunal to find that the Red Cross policy is unjustifiable.”

The Red Cross' lawyers claim gay men could be more "altruistic" by realizing the risk they pose. That's some bloody bullshit.

There's some bloody good news out of Thailand this morning.

The Red Cross announced that they are expanding their screening process to eschew gay discrimination. While the organization previously leaned on gay men in their vetting process, they will now include a number of questions that targets behavior, rather than people:

"We didn't mean to hurt anyone," said Soisaang Pikulsod, director of the Thai Red Cross National Blood Centre. "It was just to ensure the highest possible safety of our patients."

The Red Cross will rework the form to include more questions about all types of sexual behaviour, gay or heterosexual, that could increase the risk of diseases such as AIDS, she said.

Now, if only the rest of the world would fall in line…

• Moscow's mayor may have banned gay pride, but the Russian government supports the queer right to assemble.

• Gay rights activists may have cheered Italy's potential civil partnership law, but Pope Benedict XVI ain't feeling so cheery. (Surprise, surprise.)

• Potential GOP Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee may not want to comment on Mary Cheney's pregnancy, but he does say he doesn't support gay marriage.

• Scissor Sisters may be uber-talented, but it doesn't really translate on their second Passions appearance. (Or the first.)

• Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead may think they're Dannielynn Marshall Stern's papas, but Zsa Zsa Gabor's hubby, Prince Frederick von Anhalt says he's the real deal.

• The Red Cross may ban men who have sex with men from donating blood, but Cleveland officials think they're wrong.

•The American Red Cross is considering the possibility that maybe not all gays are infected with HIV from that one time they had anal sex back in 1985, and are consequently in favor of lifting the government's lifetime ban on blood donation for gay and bisexual men. [Advocate]

• What makes us gay or straight? Was it the leather pants our grandma bought us when we were six? There are scientists trying to figure it all out, and right now in the rhetorical battle of nature vs. nurture, nature seems to be winning. [CBS News via 429 News]

• Straight high school student Brandon Flyte has allegedly been expelled from his high school for surprise-airing his gay-themed student film Brokeback High for his marine biology class. Word is still out on whether the film involved whales or dolphins. [Towleroad]

• The Meretz political party is the first in Israel to endorse gay marriage. Their catchiest slogan borrows from the Jewish marriage song: "the voice of groom and groom," and "the voice of bride and bride." [365 Gay]

• Virginia's constitution could be amended to ban gay marriage this November, thanks to a ballot measure made possible by (phony) Democratic governor Tim Kaine. [Washington Blade]