Since the 1980s, gay men who have had sex with another man have been barred from donating blood on the grounds that they are carrying HIV or other sexually transmitted illnesses. In the 1980s, there was an Aids and HIV epidemic and at least one infant acquired Aids from a blood transfusion. This caused government agencies to focus on the gay community and put rules in place to prevent them from donating blood and "spreading" HIV/Aids. 

Since then, HIV and Aids are no longer rampant in the LGBTQ community, yet the rules have never been updated. I have been a long time blood donor, and whenever I ask why the screening questions are blatantly prejudice against gay men, I am told by the nurses and technicians doing the screening that they also do not agree with these rules and questions. 

I think it is fair to say there is no debate about the outdated research and data behind these rules. Recent research from 2014, shows that allowing gay men to donate would benefit the blood supply, hospitals, and patients. It also shows that gay men would not compromise the blood supply as was  believed. 

Help overturn these ridiculous, antiquated rules! Allow all of our LGBTQ family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues help save lives with this gift of a blood donation! Allow them to help save the accident victims, the cancer patients, and those with long term blood illnesses. 

We hurt ourselves as a nation by preventing all of our healthy citizens from donating blood.