Sign our petition to pressure the FDA to change its discriminatory policy that forbids gay men from donating blood! Click here to be directed to the petition.
Once you’ve signed, share the petition to friends! You can share it in a variety of ways – word of mouth, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and more. Remember, donate don’t discriminate.
The United States has a lifetime ban on blood donations from a man who has ever had sex with another man. But what policies do other countries have? Here are the policies that some other countries have adopted:
(Note: this list is not all-inclusive. It is current as of July 3, 2012.)
France has announced that it will repeal it’s lifetime ban in the coming months.
Northern Ireland is currently pursuing litigation about the constitutionality of it’s lifetime ban.
Spain’s and Italy’s intake questionnaires prior to giving blood target unsafe behavior, rather than specifically male to male sexual contact. This means that they can defer people who engage in unsafe sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, and do not specifically target the LGBT community.
South Africa has adopted a six month deferral period after a man has had sex with a man.
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, England, Hungary, Japan, and Sweden have all abandoned their lifetime blood bans in favor of one year deferral periods.
New Zealand has employed a five year deferral policy.
No country that repealed a MSM blood ban has reported an increased rate of recipient HIV infection due to policy changes.
Sources: http://www.savingliveswithhelpfulguys.com, http://www.huffingtonpost.com
On Thursday, June 28, at 4pm EDT, the Huffington Post is sponsoring a live discussion about the FDA’s gay blood ban. We encourage everyone to tune in and voice their opinions! Learn more about the live discussion here. Read up on the blood ban before the discussion by reading this article.
Against the blood ban? Click here to sign our petition to end it.
Want to stay updated with our work?
One way is through our Twitter account. Click here to see our account.
We are also spreading our educational video, which you can view here.
Finally, visit and like our Facebook page here.
We thank you for your continued support of our movement! Please share the above links with your friends and family, as well as our online petition to the FDA, found here.
The US Food and Drug Administration currently bans any man who has had sex with another man at any point since 1977 from donating blood. This ban does not consider the results of HIV tests, whether protection was used, the number of partners the men had, or any other factors of risky sex. If you are a man who has engaged in sexual acts with another man, even once, you cannot donate blood.
On both a scientific level and a moral level, this is wrong. With today’s HIV tests, it is unnecessary to instate a lifetime ban on the homosexual community. All blood is tested extensively, and there is an infinitesimally small chance that HIV+ blood will be given to a patient. This policy stigmatizes gay men as diseased and sexually irresponsible, and it reinforces the stereotype that all gay men have HIV/AIDS. Ending the blood ban would not increase the risk of the spread of HIV through blood transfusions. However, it would end today’s critical blood shortages.
Why do we fight? Simply because it is the right thing to do.
On May 8, North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. We are sorely disappointed by the outcome of this referendum vote. However, we cannot give up the fight. The LGBT Rights Movement is happening now, and we cannot idly sit by and watch, we must stand up for what is right. We lost a battle in North Carolina but we must not give up until there is national marriage equality.
On May 9, in a monumental announcement, President Obama endorsed same-sex marriage. We applaud his commitment to equality for al Americans. We are proud that our President is beginning to actively participate in the LGBT Rights Movement and are hopefully that he continues to stand up for what is right. While this is a great step, we ask that all Americans remember the discrimination that the LGBT community still faces everyday, including, but not limited to, discrimination in FDA blood donation policies and employment discrimination.
The LGBT Right’s Movement is happening now. We have not only the opportunity to stand up for change but the moral responsibility to do so.
Red is in the Rainbow is still working hard to change the FDA policy that bans any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 from donating blood. Later this month, the US Department of Health and Human services will be meeting and discussing the regulation and its future. We anxiously await their decision.
In the mean time, we are still promoting our petition, which currently has 481 signatures. Our petition can be found at: http://www.change.org/petitions/red-is-in-the-rainbow
Our Twitter account and Facebook page consistently post facts and statistics related to the MSM blood ban as well as relevant news articles. Follow @redintherainbow to get these updates or like “Red is in the Rainbow” on Facebook.
Our informational video, located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1E46mM3vfo&feature=player_embedded is a great way to learn the basics of the MSM blood ban.
We appreciate your ongoing support and hope that you continue to aid in the fight for fair blood regulations. Please share our resources with friends and family to promote equality for people of all sexual orientations!
The Eagle staff wrote an editorial about our work. Read it here: http://www.theeagleonline.com/opinion/story/staff-editorial-assuring-the-ability-to-give/
Thanks for your support, Eagle Staff!
Pick up this week’s edition of American University’s student newspaper, The Eagle, to read about Red is in the Rainbow. Read online here: http://www.theeagleonline.com/news/story/freshmen-fight-fda-blood-donation-ban/
As HIV tests improve their accuracy, the reasoning behind the FDA’s gay blood ban becomes more and more outdated. Read about the blood ban and how it is affected by current HIV testing technology here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/with-better-hiv-tests-should-fda-end-its-ban-on-gay-men-donating-blood/2012/04/16/gIQAT2a6LT_story.html
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