From: NewNowNext
Great news! After over a year of discussion, testimony and deliberation (including a letter signed by 80 Democratic members of Congress), the Food and Drug Administration has finally lifted its discriminatory ban on gay men donating blood.
Great news, right? Kind-of. Sort-of. Not really. No.
The FDA announced that it will drop the “ever” part of its decades-long ban on gay men donating blood, replacing it with a one-year prohibition on men who have had sex with men, essentially keeping in tact its ban for the majority of gay men.
The agency said it has worked with other government agencies and considered input from outside advisory bodies, and has “carefully examined the most recent available scientific evidence to support the current policy revision.”
“Ultimately, the 12-month deferral window is supported by the best available scientific evidence, at this point in time, relevant to the U.S. population,” Dr. Peter Marks, deputy director of the FDA’s biologics division, said in a statement.
Thrilled I can now substitute "Sorry, I did butt stuff this year" for "Sorry, I'm gay," when passing blood banks.
— Tyler Coates (@tylercoates) December 21, 2015
As noted by The New Civil Rights Movement, if you’re a gay man in a monogamous relationship with your legally-married husband, you are ineligible to donate blood.
“This new policy prevents men from donating life-saving blood based solely on their sexual orientation rather than actual risk to the blood supply,”said David Stacy, HRC’s Government Affairs Director. “While it’s a step in the right direction toward an ideal policy that reflects the best scientific research, it still falls far short of a fully acceptable solution because it continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men.”
What do you think? Is this progress?
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