Gay blood ban lifted
The ban on gay men donating blood has finally been lifted today.
Old regulations have prevented all men that have engaged in sexual activity with other men from ever giving blood.
The new rules allow men to give blood provided they have not had sex in the past year.
These changes were largely due to gay rights pressure groups and widespread student campaigns led by the National Union of Students. The European Commission had also condemned the old rules, saying that any ban on the basis of sexual orientation broke EU laws.
The 12-month abstinence period required of gay men wishing to donate has sparked some criticism because it still bans people on the basis of sexual orientation, rather than behaviour.
A statement released by Stonewall said that “a blanket ban on any man who has had sex with another man in the last year, even if he has only had oral sex, remains disproportionate.”
