this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
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The American Red Cross is now allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood without restrictions that specifically single out a person’s sexual orientation or gender, the nonprofit group said Monday.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 78 points 1 year ago (17 children)

And it only took... *checks notes* 40 years!

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[–] IGuessThisIsForNSFW@yiffit.net 67 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (11 children)

Goddammit! I have o- blood and the red cross called me LITERALLY everyday after I donated the first time. I asked them to only call every quarter because I still did want to donate, but that just made them call every other day. Finally out of frustration I looked for anything that would make me ineligible to donate and the next time they called, I told them I was gay. All calls stopped after that.

[–] DV8@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I found that making an appointment, no matter how far in the future makes them stop calling.

I donate plasma (AB+) as often as I can, usually 2 weekly as that is the limit here. But if you're single the 4 month halt for having sex with a new partner is annoying because they will keep calling while they say you can't donate.

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[–] MaiteRosalie@kbin.social 53 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Great, now I can move forward with my plan of turning everyone gay by donating blood

[–] Blumpkinhead@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Can I just get a little blood? I don't want to go full gay, I just want to be able to tell which sneakers I should wear with this outfit.

[–] Treatyoself@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

God speed 🫡

[–] eldavi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

not if you like having sex. lol

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[–] TopShelfVanilla@sh.itjust.works 40 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Cue right wingers refusing transfusions. Actually, that's fine.

[–] gothicdecadence@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Blood is blood is blood. I'm sure that people who need it don't care if an absolute bigoted moron gave it to them, they wouldn't know anyways.

Edit: I'm the moron, you meant refusing taking blood, not giving it lmao

[–] Rachelhazideas@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

We should make it known to these people that it's 'gay blood' though. What they do with their own body is up to them because I support bodily autonomy, including dying of bigotry.

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[–] DocMcStuffin@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Maybe this is a cynical take, but will conservatives refuse a life saving blood transfusion because it may have come from a gasp gay man? I mean a bunch were refusing transfusions because the blood could have come from someone that had a gasp covid vaccine.

[–] zaph@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

There are people who refuse blood transfusions because of relious beliefs and will let their children die. Of course there are some that would refuse "gay blood."

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[–] Tenthrow@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Conservatives might be getting some of that gay blood. Does that work the same as eating the heart of a warrior to gain their power?

[–] Blumpkinhead@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, but instead of becoming more powerful, you become more fabulous.

[–] RGB3x3@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sign me up! Sound like A-positive to me!

[–] PaintedSnail@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Unless you're someone who tends to B-negative anyway.

[–] brlemworld@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Under the new guidelines, anyone who has recently had sex with a new partner or multiple people and has also had anal sex would have to wait three months to donate

Those taking oral medication to prevent HIV infection, called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, still have to wait three months from their last dose to donate blood. People taking long-acting PrEP injections have to wait two years before donating.

[–] snert@midwest.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Also note that the Red Cross is usually quick to say it's actually the FDA that imposes these homophobic restrictions and it's "not their fault"

[–] Microw@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

They said the same thing in Austria: "not our fault, the government agencies make these rules!"

And the government agencies would be like "well, we want to change the rules, but the Red Cross tells us not to!"

Took us to have a left-wing green health minister to pressure them enough.

The finally implemented the changes last year, sounds like it is 1:1 the same rules like you guys have now.

[–] DebraBucket@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Darn, so straight people having anal raw dog gang bangs can no longer donate soon after experiencing a DVDA? How is that fair? /s

[–] itsyourmom@artemis.camp 13 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Literally can’t even believe that was a thing!

[–] DaCookeyMonsta@lemmy.world 55 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think it was set up when AIDS was spreading amongst the gay community before they had a test for it.

Of course, now they can both test for it and it spread well beyond the gay community for a while so it's ridiculous that it was still a thing.

[–] JustAManOnAToilet@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

They just removed restrictions for Brits that were in the UK between 1980-1996 too, so I guess they're just getting around to opening things up and this was on the list.

[–] Hyperreality@kbin.social 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Is the UK 1980-96 thing being removed too? That's cool.

Not just brits btw, but anyone who spent an extended time in the UK in the 80s/90s. IRC due to fears about CJD/Mad Cow's Disease.

[–] YoBuckStopsHere@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I was stationed in UK and couldn't donate blood as a result. That was only ten years ago. Since they opened it back up I am getting constant calls to donate.

[–] ZodiacSF1969@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why? AIDS was a devestating epidemic. The blood banks were slow to act at all, and as a result many haemophiliacs acquired the disease and died. Gay men were the largest risk group for spreading and contracting it, so it makes sense to screen them out.

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[–] ryannathans@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

In my country gay men account for 90% of all HIV infections. It's very hard to ensure blood is free of HIV, as blood is infectious within three months of infection but won't test positive

[–] Oyster_Lust@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

I didn't know that was still in place, since they started testing for AIDS decades ago.

[–] itsyourmom@artemis.camp 3 points 1 year ago

I didn’t even know that was happening!

[–] sachamato@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

In 2023. Unbelievable.

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