Victoria Pride has joined organizations from across Canada to call for an end to discriminatory blood donation policies through the All Blood is Equal campaign.

Despite critical shortages of donated blood, thousands of willing donors are turned away every year because of their identity. In Canada, men who have sex with men and trans women cannot donate blood unless they have been abstinent for three months.

This policy rests on the notion that any sexual encounter among 2SGBTQ/MSM individuals represents a probable risk for HIV transmission. This is an outdated and harmful assumption. You do not acquire HIV by being two spirit, gay, bisexual, queer or trans. More than 17 countries have ended identity-based exclusions from blood donation rules in favour of behavior-based criteria. We call on Canada to shift to a gender-neutral screening process that examines risk and behaviour.

Times Colonist Editorial

Victoria Pride was especially disappointed by the June 2020 editorial supporting the blood ban in the Times Colonist implying that gay and bisexual men and trans women are a threat to the blood supply. In addition to the piece being uninformed and perpetuating homophobic tropes, it was especially insensitive and hurtful during Pride month and just before Victoria Pride Week. We call on the Times Colonist to issue a retraction and apology for this offensive piece.

About All Blood is Equal

All Blood is Equal is a national coalition of Canadian organizations committed to ending Canada’s discriminatory blood donation ban. For more information and to add your name, visit allbloodisequal.ca.

Media Contact
Scott Daly
scott@victoriapridesociety.org