Blood Donation Day - why are gays not allowed to donate?

The official blood donation day refers - albeit indirectly - to a problem that many members of the LGBTQ community have been dealing with for a long time. Because: Gays are still prohibited from donating blood in Germany.

At the same time, the media landscape is repeatedly flooded with reports of too few blood reserves and serious shortages. Now, the ban on blood donation for gays (and Bisexual) demonstrated.

Worrying values - there are too few blood donors!

... and that is exactly what should make people sit up and take notice - especially on Blood Donation Day. Nevertheless, many - also in this country - are unfortunately still of the opinion that gay men should not be allowed to donate blood.

This is - according to many citizens - one of the old laws or prohibitions that have never been revised over time (for whatever reason) and adapted to modern times.

Or in other words: the so-called Transfusion Act still ensures in the 21st century that people are discriminated against who actually only want to help. In recent days and weeks, some politicians have been campaigning for a corresponding change in the law.

What is actually behind the Blood Donation Act?

The ban on homosexual and bisexual'e people dates back to the time when there was a "new spectre" called "Aids" existed. The doctors and people in charge were afraid of HIV-positive blood donors.

Who gay or bi and wanted to donate had to abstain from sex for a long period of time beforehand. They were considered more dangerous than heterosexual people, who - on closer inspection - can of course also engage in lively partner changes without contraception.

This alone shows how extremely outdated this law actually is. Because: AIDS is of course not the "gay disease" as which it was interpreted in the course of the 1980s, for example.

Demos against the current legislation

Many gays and members of the LGBTQ community have realised that the chances of declaring war on this kind of discrimination have rarely been better. It is therefore not surprising that a demonstration has been registered for 15 June 2020 in Berlin.

However, the event merely joins other Germany-wide demos. In different places, people went and went hete- and gay People are now taking to the streets, side by side, to voice their opinions on this exciting issue and, if necessary, to get current politicians to rethink.

After all, a further shortage of blood donors would possibly develop into a real problem for everyone in the end.

On the day of blood donation: the parties are not (yet?) in agreement

The discussion about whether homosexuals and bisexuals should be allowed to donate blood is also dividing the parties. Especially the CDU and the AfD do not seem to be willing to deviate from the imposed ban. On the other side: the Greens and the FDP. Both are of the opinion that a person's sexual orientation should not determine whether blood may be donated or not.

So it definitely remains exciting. Especially because the question "Are gays allowed to donate blood or not?" does not seem to be a German phenomenon. A rethink is also taking place - at least slowly - in other countries.

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