Discrimination barred gay men from donating blood to Orlando shooting victims

The horrific shooting that has claimed at least 49 lives at a gay club in Orlando has brought up a hot-button issue for the gay community: the ability to give blood.

Since 1983, the Food and Drug Administration has barred gay and bisexual men from giving blood.

The ban was loosened last December when the agency declared that gay men who have been celibate for a year or more can donate.

The new rules still bar men who are in long-term monogamous relationships.

Countries around the world have thrown out rules barring blood donations for gay men, because there's no science to support a ban on gay blood donation. .

OneBlood, a blood-donation center in Orlando said that it is in urgent need of blood donors following the shooting, but FDA regulations remain in place: All FDA guidelines remain in effect for blood donation. There are false reports circulating that FDA rules were being lifted. Not true.

That means it’s illegal for a gay man to donate blood to victims of the massacre, but It’s legal to buy an AR-15 assault rifle.

A shame!

Long lines of people wait to donate blood... except gay men

Canada lifts restrictions on gay men's blood donations

 

Health Canada approved the request by Canadian Blood Services to end the policy that restricts homosexuals from donating blood for three months after engaging in gay sex. A move Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said was "good news for all Canadians" but had taken too long.

Trudeau said at a news conference the ban should have ended 10 to 15 years ago, but research proving it would not affect the safety of the blood supply had not been done by previous governments.

Trudeau also said his government spent C$5 million dollars on research into the safety aspects of changing the blood donation rules and multiple scientific reports showed the blood supply would continue to be safe.

The research said current risks of contracting HIV from the blood supply, with all samples tested, was estimated to be "very low," at 1 in 20.7 million.

The policy change marks a significant milestone toward a more inclusive blood donation system.

Trudeau announced Canada ending ban on gay men's blood donation, watch it below:

Israel removes restrictions on gay men donating blood

 

Israel has lifted restrictions on blood donations by gay men, saying the longstanding limitation was discriminatory and denigrating, Israel´s health minister said.

Until now, men seeking to donate blood in Israel were asked whether they had same-sex relations in the past 12 months, a category that would disqualify them from giving. Now the questionnaire inquires whether a prospective donor has had "high risk sexual relations with a new partner or partners" in the past three months, using gender neutral wording.

Nitzan Horowitz, Israel's health minister, who himself is openly gay, told that the Health Ministry had "removed the denigrating and irrelevant questions" in questionnaires for blood donors, and that everyone would be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation.

"There´s no difference between one blood and the other. Discrimination against gays in donating blood is over", he said.

Earlier this year the U.K. eased restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, following a similar decision by the U.S. last year because of a drop in the nation´s blood supply.

Israel's health minister announced the lift

Restrictions for gay men to donate blood ended in Germany

Homosexual men can now donate blood more easily than before in Germany.

The German Medical Association and the Paul Ehrlich Institute responsible for the safety of blood products have updated the relevant guidelines.

Up until now it was the case that people with so-called sexual risk behavior could only donate blood if they stated that they had ended this risk behavior at least twelve months before the donation.

From a scientific point of view, what is known as risk behavior occurs, among other things, in men who have sex with other men. Heterosexual men and women who frequently change partners also belong to the risk group.

This period has now been reduced to four months, according to the new directive.

The fact that blood donations from people with sexual risk behavior is handled differently than donations from people who live in a stable partnership is justified in the opinion of the German Medical Association. 

However, new studies have shown that a period of four months is sufficient to safely rule out possible infections. If the so-called sexual risk behavior was at least four months ago at the time of the donation, this would "not lead to an increase in the risk for the recipients of blood and blood products", according to the German Medical Association.

The scientists expressly do not assess sexual orientation precisely to avoid any appearance of discrimination.

Israel authorities recently decided the same.

Restrictions on gay men donating blood relaxed amid COVID19 pandemic

The US federal government is loosening restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men in light of a blood shortage brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

In revised guidelines published, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a three-month deferral for men who have sex with men. The previous policy was a full year ban. According to the FDA, the COVID19 pandemic has caused "unprecedented challenges" to the national blood supply.

The new guidelines will remain in place throughout the pandemic and will be updated to incorporate public comment within 60 days of the emergency being lifted.

Donor centers have experienced a dramatic reduction in donations due to the implementation of social distancing and the cancellation of blood drives. The American Red Cross announced last month nearly 2,700 blood drives, where the organization collects more than 80 percent of its blood donations, had been canceled due to the pandemic.

The FDA said experience in other countries like the United Kingdom and Canada with a three-month deferral and improved testing led the agency to make the change.

The three-month deferral also applies to those who recently got tattoos or piercings, as well as former sex workers or injection drug users, who were previously indefinitely banned from donating.

Greece lifts ban on gay men donating blood

Greece has lifted a longstanding ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men in a historic move for the LGBTQ community. A ministerial decree has signed by Health Minister Thanos Plevris and his deputy, Mina Gaga.

The decree created a new form for people wishing to donate blood to complete, which removes homosexual acts from the list of things restricting someone from doing so.

Now, people can donate if they have had the same sexual partner for the last three months, meaning gay and bisexual men in sexually active and monogamous relationships can give blood for the first time.

The ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men was first implemented in 1977. Many countries introduced blood donation controls in the wake of the HIV/Aids epidemic. Greece was one of the few countries that upheld the ban, until now.

Last year, several countries lifted this ban too, including U.S., Brazil, Germany, Israel and England, Scotland and Wales. 

US FDA recommends end to ban on gay men donating blood

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood should end.

In the U.S., men who have sex with men have been banned from donating blood since the mid 1980s, during the AIDS epidemic. Currently, men who have had sex with men any time since 1977 are banned from donating blood.

The FDA statement said new guidelines will be drafted in the new year, and then a consultation will follow. The long-standing ban has been criticised by campaigners who say it perpetuates negative stereotypes about gay and bisexual men, and that it is not backed up by science.

"Over the past several years, in collaboration with other government agencies, the FDA has carefully examined and considered the available scientific evidence relevant to its blood donor deferral policy", the statement read.

"The agency will take the necessary steps to recommend a change to the blood donor deferral period for men who have sex with men from indefinite deferral to one year since the last sexual contact", added.

The American Medical Association Says No to the Lifetime Ban on Blood Donations for Gay Men

During the last board meeting in Chicago, the American Medical Association (AMA) has voted to end a federal lifetime ban on gay male blood donors.

The ban, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was introduced in 1983 to prevent blood donations from gay men in response to the AIDS outbreak, when little was known about HIV and AIDS caused panic.

The AMA considers that, with existing technologies, donated blood can be screened individually. Then, men who have sex with men shouldn't be discriminated and they could be seen like the rest of donors and not like a risk group.

Dr William Kobler, AMA board member, said in a statement: "The lifetime ban on blood donation for men who have sex with men is discriminatory and not based on sound science". And he added: "This new policy urges a federal policy change to ensure blood donation bans or deferrals are applied to donors according to their individual level of risk and are not based on sexual orientation alone".

For those reasons, the AMA recommends to the FDA to change its policy, and to adopt similar one used in other countries, so that gay men should be evaluated on an individual level rather than being collectively banned and stigmatized in a high-risk category.

About 450 delegates from across the U.S. have
gathered in Chicago to discuss several issues 

Who cares about sexual orientation of donors?

The Supreme Court of Brazil lifts restrictions on gay men to donate blood

Brazil's supreme court has overturned restrictions on gay and bisexual men donating blood, in what's being heralded a victory for LGBT campaigners in the country.

Seven of 11 justices at the Supreme Federal Court in Brasília voted to end rules banning men who've had sex with men within the previous 12 months from donating blood.

The court said the rules were unconstitutional because it imposed restrictions on the basis of sexual orientation. “Instead of the state enabling these people to promote good by donating blood, it unduly restricts solidarity based on prejudice and discrimination,” supreme court minister Edson Fachin wrote in his vote.

In recent weeks, the United States, Denmark, Hungary and Northern Ireland have all reduced blood donation restrictions for gay and bisexual men from 12 months to three months, as the coronavirus pandemic increases pressure on blood supplies.

Despite President Bolsonaro is well known as detractor of LGBT rights, Brazilian Supreme Court stands for equality. Last year a majority of judges also voted to treat homophobia and transphobia as crimes, so the acts of discrimination are punishable by prison.

Brazil with proud

"Bad Blood" Parody

 

In a timely send-up of Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar's music video "Bad Blood", comedians Jake Wilson and Jeffery Self highlight the absurdity of the FDA's draconian regulations on blood donation from MSM (men who have sex with men).

 

FDA has proposed an end to the lifetime ban on blood donation from gay men but still requires one year of celibacy to qualify for blood donation, a requirement medical experts argue is unnecessary.

 

In the video, which also features Drew Droege, Self tries to resist the many manly temptations around him so he can donate blood.

 

France ends lifetime ban on gay blood donations

France has finally lifted its permanent ban on men who have sex with men donating blood.

Enacted during the 1980s as a reaction the AIDS crisis, under current rules any man who has had sex with a man ever was banned from giving blood due to safety fears. After studies, no justifiable evidence was found for the lifetime ban,

The move was announced by the health minister Marisol Touraine promising to tackle a taboo and discrimination. She affirmed that “no blood donors can be refused based on their sexual orientation”.

Giving blood is an act of generosity, and civic responsibility. It's time to end this stigmatization of gay and bisexual men.

80 members of US Congress demand repeal of gay blood ban

80 Democrats in both the House and Senate have sent a letter demanding the repeal of a discriminatory and un-scientific decades-old ban on gay men giving blood.

 

The letter, addressed to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, spans four pages, plus another five of signatures, and states they are "steadfastly committed to ending the outdated MSM blood donation policy and moving forward with securing the nation's blood supply in a scientifically sound manner".

 

The lawmakers say: "we must embrace science and reject outdated stereotypes". And they add: "Low-risk individuals who wish to donate blood and help to save lives should not be categorically excluded because of outdated stereotypes".

US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin

sponsoring this demand

U.S. relaxes blood donation rules for gay and bisexual men

 

The United States has implemented changes to blood donation guidelines, allowing for more gay and bisexual men to give with fewer restrictions.

In the new guidelines by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can now donate blood in the US without having to refrain from sex.

“This policy eliminates time-based deferrals and screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM),” writes the FDA.

These changes relax decades-old restrictions that were initially designed to protect blood supplies from HIV, removing the requirement for a generalised population of “MSM” to abstain from sex for a three-month period before donating.

Instead, the updated guidelines now ask all prospective donors,  regardless of gender, orientation, or background,  screening questions aimed at evaluating individual risk factors for HIV based on medical history, sexual activity, and other factors.

The best available scientific evidence shows there is no meaningful risk for gay and bisexual men to give blood.

Gay and bisexual men can now donate blood in England, Scotland and Wales

 

Gay and bisexual men in England, Scotland, and Wales can now donate blood, plasma and platelets under certain circumstances, the National Health Service announced this week in a momentous shift in policy for most of the U.K.

From now on, gay and bisexual men in sexually active, monogamous relationships for at least three months can donate for the first time. The move reverses a policy that limited donor eligibility on perceived risks of contracting HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted infections.

Donor eligibility will now be based on each person's individual circumstances surrounding health, travel and sexual behaviors regardless of gender, according to the NHS. Potential donors will no longer be asked if they are a man who has had sex with another man, but they will be asked about recent sexual activity.

Therefore, anyone who has had the same sexual partner for the last three months can now donate blood in England, Scotland and Wales. This authorization is very exceptional, as in Europe it is only possible in Spain, Italy and Latvia, at present.

Gay couple Oscar and Xavier donate blood in the UK for the first time

Blood donations in the U.S. could be easier for gay and bisexual men

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed new regulations for blood donations that will make it easier for gay and bisexual men. 

The federal agency announced that it would be easing its rules concerning blood donation restrictions for queer men. The proposed rules would have allowed queer individuals in monogamous relationships to no longer stay abstinent for a year to give blood. 

In addition to the proposed adjustment, the FDA announced that they would explore the idea of gay and bisexual men filling out a questionnaire related to their sexual history. The established donor questionnaire will be revised to ask all potential donors about their new or multiple sex partners in the past three months.

“This proposal is in line with policies in place in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada,” the federal agency said.

With the proposed regulations officially released, the federal agency will be open for public comment, which will last 60 days. After two months, the FDA will review all the submitted comments before finalising the final set of US-based regulations.

Important step, but the goal should be to eliminate all queer-focused regulations.

Stop restriccions anyway

Spanish Doctors say they've found a cure for HIV

Doctors in Barcelona (Spain), announced that they believe they’ve found a cure for HIV. Similar to the report published by Harvard researchers, the Spanish research team hypothesize that a blood transplant from a donor with a genetic mutation could prevent HIV from entering cells and replicating.

 

The announcement is based on results of an experimental treatment given to a 37-year-old man who contracted HIV in 2009. He received chemotherapy and a transplant of blood from an umbilical cord of a donor who had a genetic mutation that gave the donor a heightened resistance to HIV.

 

The treatment seemed to work, as the Barcelona Patient was HIV free after three months.

Safe love is a good Love

Israel lifts surrogacy restrictions for LGBTQ people

Israeli male homosexual couples, single Israeli men and transgender individuals will be permitted to arrange surrogate pregnancies in the country, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced. The new policy takes effect on January 11.

Following a ruling by the High Court of Justice, the Health Ministry issued a circular amending Israel’s surrogacy law to provide equal access to surrogate pregnancies “to any person in Israel.”

“Today, we are putting an end to years of injustice and discrimination,” Horowitz told. “A week from today, we will also give equal access to surrogacy in Israel to single men, future fathers, as well as male homosexual couples, actually to any individual". 

The court ruling struck down discriminatory definitions in the existing law that excluded access to surrogacy to some men. The court ruled that the government has an obligation to provide the same surrogacy conditions to men as women. 

The ruling means that anyone who is suffering fertility limitations of the kind and quality that can only be resolved through resort to a surrogacy process can do it in Israel. That will create full equality between women suffering from a medical problem and men.

Early 2021, Israel agreed that being trans is not a mental disorder, and also lifted restrictions on blood donations by gay men since August, saying the longstanding limitation was discriminatory. In fact, Israel is considered the most progressive country in the Mideast regarding LGBTQ rights.

Israel's Health Minister announced the lift

Kiss me, Kill me... Needs You!

"Kiss Me, Kill Me" is an amazing film project which could be a reality if they can raise a bit more money with Kickstarter.

 

Directed and produced by Casper Andreas (Going Down in LA-LA Land) and written and produced by David Michael Barrett (Such Good People), it is an Alfred Hitchcock/Agatha Christie-style film set in a little town called West Hollywood.

 

The movie starts with Dusty confronting his unfaithful boyfriend. When he comes to, his boyfriend was murdered and he's the prime suspect.

 

With an extraordinary cast: Gale Harold (Queer As Folk); Matthew Ludwinski (Going Down in LA-LA Land); Van Hansis (As the World Turns); Craig Robert Young (NCSI); Brianna Brown (Homeland, Devious Maids, True Blood and Graceland); Allison Lane (Going Down in LA-LA Land)...

 

With your support, there is no challenge too great or risk to large, and KISS ME, KILL ME will then be coming soon to a theater near you!

This project will only be funded if at least $100,000 is pledged
by Thu, Nov 6 2014 5:00 AM CEST.

Visit Kickstarter

I am a backer of this film project

 

 

 

What happens in Syria?

Last August, Subhi Nahas spoke at a historic meeting of the U.N. Security Council on gay rights, to discuss the terrorist group Islamic State’s persecution of sexual minorities. ISIS killed at least thirty men accused of homosexuality in Syria and Iraq, and it continues killing them.

 

Below you can read the letter written by Nahas explaining his story.

 

Before the revolution, the regime forces of President Bashar al-Assad were doing a routine sweep at a checkpoint while I was on my way to university, and they took all the young people to a detention place, a house in the woods. Immediately I could see that there had been people there before. I could see their blood, their stains. They noticed that I’m a little bit different in the way that I walk and talk, and they started to call me names. They asked questions about my family. They released the others, but they kept me, and I really thought that they would rape and kill me. But then they just released me. I don’t know why.

 

I couldn’t risk going back to university, so I stayed home. A few months later, Islamists came and things really deteriorated. My father was at home a lot too, which meant he was seeing me more. He didn’t like what he saw, and things got violent.

 

An Islamist group, an al-Qaeda branch, took over my city of Idlib, in northern Syria, and enforced Sharia law. One day, they arrested someone I knew and accused him of being homosexual, because of something on his phone. They announced in the mosques that they would cleanse the city of sodomites. If you looked a little bit different, wore jeans that were a little bit tight, they would target you and interrogate you for five or six hours.

 

Within two or three months I planned to leave Syria. Some friends in Lebanon said they’d welcome me to their houses. I arranged a taxi and told the driver that he had to take care of all the procedures at the borders and checkpoints, because if I spoke, they might have noticed how I am and not let me leave.

 

In Lebanon, there were not a lot of job opportunities. After six months, I moved to Turkey, secured a senior position at a nonprofit, Save the Children, and stayed there for two years. I was living near the Syrian border. As ISIS took more land, things became more dangerous. For a time, I was moving from safehouse to safehouse, until I finally ended up in Istanbul and registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. UNHCR interviewed me and accepted me. The United States accepted my case, and I was referred to Homeland Security.

 

The killing of gays in Syria was not as brutal before ISIS, but it was happening. ISIS says they are protecting the community from “perverts”, people who will destroy society’s morality. They can’t offer water or services, but they can offer that.

 

My story is typical, but many others have had to endure far worse horrors. I’m very lucky that I had all this help, and that’s what I’m trying to establish with my work: a system that allows people to get help faster, that will protect them where they are now — and help them when they finally arrive in places like America.

Nahas was Out Magazine's cover

Russian police arrest LGBT activists protesting against persecution of gay men in Chechnya

Russian police have detained LGBT activists attempting to raise awareness about the persecution of gay men in Chechnya. 

The demonstration was held during a May Day march in St Petersburg, with a group of around 10 protesters arrested near the Anichkov Palace in the centre of Russia’s second city.

Images shared on Twitter showed activists lying on the road pretending to be dead, with fake blood smeared across their faces and covered with rainbow and Chechen flags.

Officers in riot gear were shown arresting protesters and dragging them to a police van. 

A separate group of gay-rights protesters were detained with placards that called for the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, to be tried at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Sign a petition to stop atrocities against gay people in Chechnya here.

Presidents of Chechnya and Russia have the same love for LGBT people