The deadliest shooting to ever have taken place in the U.S. directly targeted the LGBTQIA+ community. On June 12th, 2016 at 2:00 am, almost 50 people were killed and over 50 were injured at the Pulse, a gay night club in Orlando, Florida. There was a high need for blood at this time, which was to be expected; needs were even higher due to a shortage of blood in Florida and the East Coast. Luckily many stepped up to help out during this time of need. However, one group of people, undoubtedly affected the most by this shooting, were unable to donate blood, even in such a time of need. This group was gay and bisexual men.

In December of 2015, the Food and Drug Administration changed their "recommendation" on the donation of blood by men who have engaged in sexual activity with other men. CNN announced: "The FDA is changing its recommendation that men who have sex with men (MSM) be indefinitely deferred . . . to 12 months since the last sexual contact with another man." The FDA's reasoning behind putting a ban on the donation of blood by gay men is that statistically MSM are more likely than others to be infected with HIV. This doesn't negate the fact that all people that are sexually active are susceptible to HIV.

The Red Cross has admitted that we are in one of the biggest blood shortages ever seen, even leading to the cancellation of elective surgeries in many places. The 12 month wait period for gay men to donate blood is extremely discriminatory for many reasons. Blood that is donated is routinely checked for HIV among other things, and the testing of blood for HIV has improved in the past couple of decades. Also, while MSM are more likely to contract HIV, MSM blood is just as screenable as any other person's blood.

Alcee L. Hastings, a representative from Florida said, “We have the technological capabilities to screen blood donations to ensure they are safe for use, regardless of one’s sexual orientation.” Not only has our testing improved, but it has been proven that MSM blood donors have a lower rate of HIV than the MSM population as a whole. The FDA's own revised blood donation policy document states, "The prevalence of HIV infection in male blood donors who reported that they were MSM was determined to be 0.25%, which is much lower than the estimated 11-12% HIV prevalence in the population of individuals reporting regular MSM behavior...This indicates that considerable self-selection likely took place in individuals who presented to donate."

One American Medical Association spokesperson said, "The lifetime ban on blood donation for men who have sex with men is discriminatory and not based on sound science." So why are we continuing to forbid sexually active MSM to donate blood when there is an extreme shortage on blood? If the ban was lifted, an approximate 600,000 more pints of blood would likely be donated.

Instead of banning all sexually active MSM from donating blood, an individualized risk-based test would be given to all sexually active MSM possible blood donors instead. This approach allows more MSM to donate blood, and would help meet the amount of blood donations currently needed. Blood would still be checked for HIV, STIs, and AIDS. A ban on MSM blood donation continues the stigma and fear that started when the Reagan administration ignored the death of thousands at the hands of AIDS. The FDA needs to lift the ban on blood donation from MSM individuals, and opt for a more individualized approach.