Last December, the Food and Drug Administration lifted its lifetime ban on blood donations by men who have sex with men (often referred to as MSM). There were many gay men who would have liked to help but couldn’t. Subscribe to our print magazine.īy the early afternoon on June 12, hours after a gunman slaughtered 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, hundreds of sympathizers had lined up to donate blood to the 53 young men and women who had survived the shooting. Facts matter: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter.
