The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States adopted a law in 1985 banning men who have had sexual contact with other men (MSM) after 1977 from donating blood or bone marrow. This law was brought about due to an AIDS epidemic and still remains as a law to this day. This antiquated law remains under the assumption that MSM may lead to an increased risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV); however, there is no solid evidence that proves that gay or bisexual males have any higher risk than straight males. Both men and women, hetero- and homo-, who are sexually active are equally at risk for HIV infection. Each unit of blood collected by blood banks is rigorously tested for HIV and other diseases before it is released into the blood supply. So why, many have asked, is the law still intact? With blood and marrow donor shortages running rampant through the United States, many believe that lifting these laws would increase the blood supply and matches within the bone marrow registry, resulting in the saving of many lives. The Red Cross estimates that allowing men who have sex with men to donate would increase donations by more than 100,000 units each year.

Now, I would like you to ask yourself before passing judgement. If you needed blood or marrow, would it matter to you who the blood came from, whether gay or straight? Would not the saving of your life be more important than background of the individual that did it, as long as he or she had healthy, disease-free blood? Or if you needed bone marrow, would you rather find that your match was a gay man and use his marrow, or would you rather put off waiting for another recipient that was straight? Help sign this petition, and you may be one of many to help toward the better improvement of not only the health and well-being of the American population, but also taking another step toward the erasure of homophobic propaganda. ---------------- Sincerely,
[Your name]

TO THE FDA:

We, the undersigned, feel that the lifetime deferral on blood donations from men who have had sex with other men is outdated, unnecessary, and discriminatory.

We appeal to you to lift this ban. Hundreds of thousands of otherwise eligible donors are turned away from helping save lives.

We hereby pledge that we will fill the blood banks as we all donate blood the week this ban is lifted.