Whereas Canadian Blood Services and Hema Quebec are reconsidering their deferrals/bans; and

Whereas Canadian Blood Services has recently enacted a policy banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood if they have been sexually active with men within the last 5 years; and 

Whereas Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, Sweden and the U.K. have enacted deferral periods of 1 year or less on donations from gay and bisexual men; and

Whereas this deferral singles out sexual orientation instead of sexual behaviour, treating many safe donors as risky and risky donors as safe; and

Whereas straight men, regardless of their sexual history can donate blood.

We the undersigned call upon Canadian Blood Services to end their 5 year deferral on gay and bisexual men from donating blood!