We want to believe things are getting better, but this just isn’t enough!
The Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday morning that they are lifting their ban on gay men giving blood, which is GREAT news!
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However… there’s a catch.
A pretty unacceptable one…
Here’s the Associated Press breaking the story on Twitter (below) — pay attention to that second part of the tweet:
BREAKING: FDA lifts formal ban on blood donations from gay men. New policy requires year of abstinence.
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 21, 2015
A year of abstinence?! What??
It’s great to see that the FDA lifted the ridiculous ban, but demanding some arbitrary year of abstinence is disrespectful and self-defeating!!
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David Stacy, of the Human Rights Campaign, said of the news:
“It continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men. It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology.”
At least other Twitter users called the policy out for what it is (below):
@AP Like, it’s blood right? It’s not like it’s special gay blood that turns people gay.
— Sanjay Jenkins (@SanjayAtPlay) December 21, 2015
Ridiculous.
Here’s to the FDA seeing the error of their ways with this policy, and forgoing this arbitrary abstinence restriction!
[Image via Brian Dowling/WENN.]
