Allow gay men to donate blood: LGBTQ advocate

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Hours after the Orlando massacre took place, the community hit the hardest could not help the victims in hospital. Gay men are still not able to donate blood in the US or Canada.

Director of the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies at the University of Alberta, Kristopher Wells, says we should have moved past the fears around gay men and donating blood years ago.

“Medical evidence has come a long way since the 1980s. We recognize the tainted blood scandal and the devastating consequences that had, but it’s time to move forward.”

He believes the practice is in place based on prejudicial fears.

“All that does is continue to perpetuate harmful and hurtful stereotypes and the kind of stereotypes that can lead to prejudice, discrimination, and violence in our society.”

He believes the practice needs to be changed.

The Liberal government did pledge to look at the policy again during the federal election campaign. Wells says Justin Trudeau and company need to follow through on that promise.

“People want equal treatment and they want the rights of every individual in Canada to be respected. It’s not just blood, but it’s also organ donation that is restricted as well,” he says. “It’s once and for all to end this discrimination, end the blood ban, particularly against gay men in our country, and it’s time for the Canadian federal government to step up and show the leadership that’s needed, particularly after the Orlando tragedy it’s very clear that there is much more that we need to do to end discrimination, to end hate, to end prejudice in our society.”

He says Canadian Blood Services would benefit from ending the ban.

“We deal with blood shortages all of the time. There are people who are now on principle not giving blood because they believe this practice is discriminatory.”

In March of this year, Canadian Blood Services submitted a proposal to Health Canada to reduce the blood donation ineligibility period for men who have sex with men (MSM) from five years to one year.

On its website it says “Today, we believe there is sufficient evidence to support a one-year deferral period. In early 2016 we will submit a proposal to our federal regulator Health Canada to reduce the MSM deferral period from five years to one year. These incremental changes are important steps towards being as minimally restrictive as possible while also maintaining the safety of the blood supply.

Our aim is to identify a long-term solution that prioritizes patient safety while minimizing the societal impact on certain groups of people. We established a working group, which includes representation from patient advocacy groups, as well as LGBTQ community organizations, to serve as a forum for ongoing discussion and consultation as we develop further changes in policy. We have also committed to research funding.”

Wells says that is not enough and the ban should be lifted.

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