My name is Alex. Yesterday, I was blacklisted from donating blood for life. Not because of my HIV status (which is negative), not because of my heath at all. I was blacklisted because I’m gay.
You see, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) set a policy in the 1980s banning men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood, to protect the blood supply from HIV.
Every drop of blood that gets collected in this country is tested for HIV, among other things. I could have saved three lives yesterday, but because of this policy, I could not. I received a letter of deferment, which I’m interpreting as my official designation as a second class citizen.
Let’s say that I could give blood. If I donated six times a year, over the next thirty years, I would have the potential to save 540 lives.
Please help me save lives and become an equal member of society. Please sign, share, and reblog!
It honestly bothers me that something as big as this only has 1,327 signatures. The goal is 100,000.
Posting again because this is important and still needs 98,000 signatures to guarantee the Obama administration will respond.