Students protest against anti-gay blood policy
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Tran (LGBT) students from across the UK descended on London last Tuesday in a National Union of Students (NUS) protest against the National Blood Service’s policy, which does not current allow gay or bisexual men to donate blood.
The protest occurred outside the meeting of the Safety of Blood, Tissue and Organs department, where the body were reviewing the current policy of donor referrals and exclusions.
The current system bans a man for life from donating blood if he has ever had anal or oral sex with another man, even if they used a condom. The NUS LGBT has campaigned for the last five years to overthrow the ban which they believe is discriminatory and perpetuates the myth that AIDS is a ‘gay disease’.
The NUS LGBT is calling for an end to the ban and instead wants to use a selection criteria based on high risk behaviour and not on sexual orientation.
Daf Adley, NUS LGBT Officer said: “The ban as it currently stands demeans their ability to participate in this altruistic act and contributes to a damaging and prejudiced perception of gay and bisexual men which belongs in the past.”
A growing number of scientific and medical experts have publicly stated their concern about the restrictions, whilst thousands of people have signed the LGBT petition against the ban.
