Urging Support for the National Gay Blood Drive
WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) spoke out against the blood ban against gay donors and to urge support for the National Gay Blood Drive.
Below is a video and transcript of the speech.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the National Gay Blood Drive, because I know that that being gay does not implicitly make someone an unsafe blood donor.
Our current FDA policy paints all gay and bisexual men with the same brush, banning them for life based solely on orientation instead of focusing on actual risky behavior.
This Friday at National Gay Blood Drives in 61 cities across our country, gay and bisexual men will stand with straight allies to call for an end to this discriminatory policy.
Implemented in 1983 during the height of the HIV crisis, the outdated policy is based on unjustifiable fear and bigotry instead of science and facts.
But it’s 2014. We have advanced blood screening and know much more about how HIV is transmitted, so we need a revised policy to match. A revision blood donating agencies support.
We can no longer treat gay and bisexual men as second class citizens or turn away healthy would be donors who could be providing lifesaving blood.
I urge all of my colleagues to support the National Gay Blood Drive and help America move one step closer to true equality for all.