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 North Miami Councilman Scott Galvin is urging fellow citizens to join him in fighting the ban on blood donations by gay men. The following is an open letter from Councilman Galvin:
Since 1985, gay men have not been able to legally donate blood in the United States. This policy was instituted by our government in the earliest, most fearful days of the AIDS epidemic. When so little was known about the disease, reactionary officials instituted the ban as a way to ensure the nation's blood supply would remain "clean."
The gay-rights movement has many fields of battle. Last week, President Obama signed a bill extending hate crime protections to sexual orientation. Then last night, voters in Maine rejected a measure that would have allowed same-sex marriage.
But to our list of equality issues, we should immediately add overturning a ridiculous Federal policy which jeopardizes the well-being of each of us. We should fight to overturn the Federal ban on gay men donating blood.
Most Americans, including many gays, do not even realize the ban is still in place. I spoke recently to a group of local university students enrolled in an LGBT issues class. They were well-versed in gay marriage, bullying, AIDS awareness and the usual gay-rights issues. But when I brought up the blood ban, very few of the people in attendance knew it existed.
Obviously, thanks to modern science, we now know much more about the spread of HIV and AIDS than we did in 1985. Truly, this ban is unnecessary and outdated. Donated blood is screened thoroughly between the time it is donated and when it is used for medical procedures. Technology easily helps us catch any tainted blood before it can be given to someone in need.
I have begun to reach out to my Congresspersons and various gay-rights organizations. Especially with President Obama in the White House, we have an amazing chance to end a moronic and discriminatory policy.
2009 is a watershed year for the gay-rights movement. Let us also make this the year in which we strike down the ban on gay men donating blood. If so, I'll be first in line at the blood bank.
If you would like to help end the ban, please email me at
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Right now, I'm researching what efforts by any national organizations or legislators might already be underway. Once I gather that information, I'll hope to work in conjunction with them. At some stage, I might ask you to write your legislators. Or I might ask you to spread the word to your friends.
But please let me know if you'd like to help in ending the blood ban!
Sincerely,
Scott Galvin
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