Friend,

A victory and still fighting! After weeks of pressure from LGBTQ people, allies, elected officials, and GLAAD – including our nationwide petition and our News and Rapid Response team’s daily pressure through the media – the FDA has just announced that they have revised their policies regarding eligibility of blood and plasma donors, implemented immediately.

The FDA has reviewed the policy restricting men from donating blood if they have had sex with another man in the past 12 months: the recommended deferral period has been reduced from 12 months to 3 months.

This victory, however, remains imperfect, and we will continue pushing for the ban to be lifted entirely.

Blood donations are in critical need during this global pandemic, and donated plasma from those who have recovered from COVID-19 has been shown to help others recover. Because of your support of our work, gay and bisexual men are now more able to contribute. 

We have turned the tide on this and changed an antiquated policy, allowing further inclusion of our community. Please consider donating $25, $125 or $250 or becoming a monthly member to support our crucial work as GLAAD continues to advocate for the LGBTQ community and help all those in need.

This victory joins our other recent headline-making work including successfully pressuring Hallmark to reinstate LGBTQ-inclusive ads, pushing back on discriminatory legislation in Arizona, Tennessee, and across the country. There is still much more work to be done as we continue advocating for and protecting marginalized communities. 

-Your friends at GLAAD