In the wake of the horrific shooting in Las Vegas over the weekend, many of us derived hope from the fact that hundreds of volunteers lined up for blocks at blood banks to donate blood to survivors. However, sexually active gay and bisexual men were excluded from donating, sparking outrage over the FDA's policies about blood donations from men who have sex with men.
After the shooting, plenty of people, including NSYNC's Lance Bass, expressed their frustration about not being able to donate blood.
For 32 years, the FDA banned blood donations from gay and bisexual men in response to the AIDs crisis. However, the policy had been the target of criticism — in 2014, the American Medical Association came out in opposition of the ban, calling it outdated. Read more via the Refinery29
How is it STILL illegal for gays to donate blood??!! I want to donate and I'm not allowed. 😤
— Lance Bass (@LanceBass) October 3, 2017
So very right on and I'm gonna do all these things. Except give blood. I would but I can't. I'm a gay American. https://t.co/7hS48vENHN
— Jeffery Self (@JefferySelf) October 3, 2017
You can give blood.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) October 2, 2017
You can help Puerto Rico.
You can help the Virgin Islands.
You can help Mexico.
No shortage of ways to do good today.