Kansas City, Mo. ? A dispute over a gay student’s efforts to donate blood has divided students at a south Kansas high school and prompted plans for a letter-writing campaign against what some consider a discriminatory policy.

The controversy started last fall after Josh Turner, a 17-year-old junior at Winfield High School, was told by representatives from the American Red Cross that he could not donate blood because he was a gay male. When the Red Cross returned Wednesday for another blood drive, some students who supported Turner protested by wearing rainbow patches, a common symbol of gay pride.

Other students who supported the blood drive wore straight pride patches, which showed a picture of a man and woman holding hands. They also printed papers saying gays were not allowed or with such slogans as “Give blood, not AIDS.”

Turner said his protest was meant to be peaceful and quiet but the other students, mostly boys, were “very derogatory,” causing several verbal fights in school after the blood drive.

The tense atmosphere prompted school officials to invite students to an assembly to discuss the issue, said Superintendent Marvin Estes.

Estes said the point of Wednesday’s meeting was to explain that Turner’s rejection was based on a U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy that the Red Cross is required to follow.

“This is not a gay-straight issue, although that was the way it was being played out,” Estes said. “The student was denied because of the rules in place to screen people who want to give blood.”

Turner said he and his supporters want to make the FDA understand that its policy was preventing healthy people from giving much-needed, healthy blood.

Estes said he hoped that Wednesday’s meeting, which involved about 250 of the school’s 750 students, helped educate the students and calm a divisive situation.

“I’m not going to say that everyone went away from the meeting with a complete, clear understanding of the issues,” Estes said. “It was a spirited discussion and we had some kids that are very passionate on both sides of the issue.

“We hope they understand that it wasn’t discrimination, it was the rule. If they want to fight the rule, that’s fine.”

Turner said he didn’t think the meeting accomplished much, but he appreciated that Estes and other administrators have offered him their support. He has heard rumors that other students had threatened him but no one has threatened him directly.

“It’s always a concern, but I’m not going to let it stop me,” Turner said.

The FDA policy excludes males who acknowledge having sex with another male even once since 1977 because they are at an increased risk of carrying HIV, hepatitis and other infections that can be transmitted through transfusions. While acknowledging that improved testing for HIV and hepatitis has greatly reduced the risk of transmitting the diseases, the FDA says its first priority is to protect the safety of the nation’s blood supply.

“FDA scientists continue to monitor the scientific literature and to consult with (other) experts,” according to the FDA Web site. “FDA will continue to publicly revisit the current deferral policy as new information becomes available.”

The American Red Cross and other blood centers often are caught in the middle of disputes over the policy on gay men, said Darren Irby, a spokesman for the organization. The American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks and America’s Blood Centers have encouraged the FDA to modify its policy, he said.

“We’re disappointed that the changes haven’t been made,” Irby said. “We’ll continue to work with (other groups) to really press for the donor deferral policies to be fair and consistent based on scientific evidence. Everyone’s ultimate goal is to protect the blood supply from harm.”