Today, the TRUSU Equity Committee is launching its campaign to call on the Federal Government to fulfill their promise to end the MSM (men who have sex with men) blood donation ban!

During the last Federal election, the Liberal Party pledged to “end the discriminatory ban that prevents men who have sex with men from donating blood,”^[1]  but MSM are still waiting for the government to end the one year ‘deferral policy’ of Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec.

“It’s time for the government to end this donation policy that they themselves acknowledge ‘ignores scientific evidence,’ and is a ‘stigmatizing donor-screening policy’,^[2]” said Caitlin Orteza, TRUSU Vice President Equity. “It’s time that Canada move towards policy “that is non-discriminatory and based on science.”

The Equity Committee will be out on campus at the Back to School BBQ and Clubs Day to collect 500 postcard petitions calling on the Federal Government to work with Health Canada, Canadian Blood Services, and Héma-Québec to quickly move towards a behaviour based model of donation screening like many other nations such as Spain, Italy, or Chile, and away from a blanket ban based on one’s identity.

“It’s 2017,” concluded Orteza, “We can ensure the safety of the blood supply without banning men who have sex with men.”

The campus community can visit the Equity Committee tables at the Back to School BBQ or Clubs Day to learn more about the campaign and sign a postcard.

For more information, contact:

^[1]Liberal Party of Canada. “Platform: Ending MSM Blood Donation Ban.” liberal.ca/realchange/ending-msm-blood-donation-ban/. 2015

^[2] Ibid.