Joe Rojo was turned away from giving blood Thursday afternoon.
The director of international programs for the Heavener School of Business walked through the rain to attend Pride Awareness Month’s first Gay Blood Drive. UF students donated blood on behalf of gay and bisexual men. More than 20 people donated blood by Century Tower, said Jacob Dolins, a UF biology and nutritional sciences freshman.
Rojo said he couldn’t donate due to his sexual orientation.
According to a 1992 memorandum by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, men who have had sex with other men couldn’t donate blood due to the risk of HIV. In December 2015, the FDA updated its recommendation to apply to those who have had sex with other men in the past 12 months.
“It’s crazy,” Rojo said. “I know there’s a need for blood, and I know I’m healthy.”
Dolins said the new recommendation isn’t enough. He said the 12-month ban excludes couples and men who know their HIV status.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s by no means substantial,” the 19-year-old said. “Because this ban still exists, it allows for stereotypes like ‘gays have AIDS’ to continue to thrive.”
Members of PAM stood under
a tent sheltered from the rain while giving donors water, Gatorade, fruit snacks and granola bars. Dolins said the group will double the amount of blood given to show how many people could have donated if the ban did not exist. He said if the ban didn’t exist, 40 could have donated.
“Considering the torrential downpour, we did get a good amount of participation,” he said. “There’s plenty of people at this school who can’t donate.”
Emily McCreary, a UF finance freshman, said she was donating blood to support Dolins. She was worried about passing out as a needle was pushed into her arm.
“I always think ‘Oh, girls shouldn’t be afraid of blood because we see it every month,’ but watching it come out of your arm is different,” the 18-year-old said.
McCreary, a member of PAM, said HIV/AIDS should not be associated with queer men.
“It’s an archaic stereotype,” she said. “It’s not just an issue for queer men, it’s an issue for the nation.”
She said she had passed out after giving blood before, but she was happy to do it again.
“Pain is temporary; karma is forever,” she said.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @k_newberg.
