Barrios to take helm of regional Red Cross office

Openly gay former state senator Jarrett Barrios is slated to become regional chief executive officer of the American Red Cross, the organization said Monday, Nov. 21.

"He brings a passion for the cause, experience with our mission of delivering disaster services, and the thoughtful approach of a well-tested leader," said head of the search committee Geri Denterlein in a statement from the organization.

Barrios reported in the statement that he's excited about the new position.

"I am looking forward to working with the chapter's excellent staff, volunteers, and community partners in providing Red Cross humanitarian services and life-saving education to those living, working, and raising families in Eastern Massachusetts," he said.

Barrios, a Harvard graduate, was elected to the Massachusetts House in 1998, and in 2002 became both the first openly gay man and the first Latino to hold a seat in the Senate.

Barrios made headlines earlier this summer when he resigned from his position as CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) after writing a letter endorsing a proposed merger between T-Mobile and AT&T.

Beginning Nov. 29, Barrios will head the American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts, which includes chapters in Cambridge, Beverly, Hyannis, Boston, Brockton, Braintree, Fall River, Haverhill, New Bedford, Peabody, and Waltham.

Blood banks like the American Red Cross have long come under fire for refusing to accept blood donations from men who have sex with men, acting under a Food & Drug Administration (FDA) ban from the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Red Cross and other members of the blood banking industry have since called for the ban to be lifted, saying it is no longer warranted.