Written: 1/2/2013

One of the causes I’ve always been interested in, is the ban on LGBT blood donation.  Which, if anyone knows me, is kind of funny.  I’ve only successfully given blood once, and it was an ordeal.

The six other times I tried, I couldn’t fill the bag, and that was after about half an hour of poking and needle sticking trying to find a suitable vein.  Heaven help me when I have to get IV’s at the hospital (which is something I never want to have to relive).

But anyway, the ban is based on the idea that LGBT persons are more likely to have HIV and other diseases, that instead of just testing the blood, like they do for all donations anyway, to just ban them from giving from the get go.  And with the need for blood always seemingly outpacing donations, it seems dumb, and unjustified.

But, quietly, Mexico has lifted their ban:

A little noticed Mexican health norm first approved in August and then published in the country’s regulatory Official Federation Diary on October 26th has gone into effect today essentially doing away with a two-decade ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men….

The old norm (NOM 003-SSA2) explicitly banned gay and bisexual men from donating blood based on their “practices” and their “increased probability of acquiring HIV or hepatitis infection”.

The new norm (NOM 253) eliminates specific bans on gay and bisexual men and instead bans blood donations from people with HIV or hepatitis and their partners and people who engage in “risky sexual practices” regardless of their sexual identity.

If American is ever to lift their ban, I think I would certainly try to give blood.  Who knows, maybe things have changed in my arms enough that I could be a donor without only getting half a bag and then stopping.

It seems like such a weird thing, and such a small thing, but it’s all a part of the fight for equality.

All my best,

Mike