Every few years someone tries to remind the masses that the Red Cross and the FDA still won't accept blood from gay men or from any man who has had sexual contact with another man since 1977. Unfortunately, the FDA has not changed its rules, but this Friday, July 11, there's a National Gay Blood Drive to bring attention back to the ban, and push for its repeal.
The ban on blood from gay and bisexual men dates back to 1983 and focuses solely on sexual orientation, stemming from a time when adequate HIV testing and screening procedures did not exist. The Red Cross now screens every unit of blood they receive for a range of infectious diseases including HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, and the West Nile virus. And the argument is that gay and bisexual men who get regular HIV tests and don't engage in risky sexual behavior ought to be able to donate blood like everyone else.
As one local mother tells ABC 7, she just wants her older, gay son to be able to donate blood to help her younger son, who needs the plasma due to an immune disorder. "It's a fact that he can't donate, and he would like to, and obviously it's a life-saving treatment for his brother," she says.
For Friday's blood drive, gay men are being asked to bring along straight friends and allies who would be eligible donors in their place. Photos will be taken with would-be donors and their allies and those will be sent with a letter to the FDA in protest of the ban.
Here in S.F., the drive is happening from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday at City Hall, and you can see more info here.
Also, you can help by signing this petition to the White House to end the ban. If 100,000 signatures are collected, the White House will have to issue a response.
Below, a promo for the drive from popular gay YouTuber RyanJamesYezak (remember this, his seminal work?).
