Blood Ban: Abstains

Doubt the munster was getting any action anyway.

Blood Ban: Donation

Conor Collins has created this portrait of Alan Turing using blood donated by gay men, in support of FreedomTo Donate.

Not quite sure what Alan Turing's got to do with the blood ban - he just seems to have become the go-to guy for a signifier of gay victimhood.

Twitterspat Of The Day: Blood Ban

@Mike_Fabricant you are a deeply offensive man and it's time you apologise

— Chris Bryant MP (@RhonddaBryant) June 17, 2015

Two of our leading parliamentarians, there.

Gay Blood Ban: Not Existing

It's now okay if you're gay as long as you don't have bumsex up the bum-bum.

E-Petitions: Please Ignore This Post

Leading e-petitions at 7pm yesterday:

* Petition to retain the ban on Capital Punishment (3,241 signatures)

* Keep Formula 1 Free To Air in the UK (1,501)

* Restore capital punishment (1,421)

* Legalise cannabis (577)

* Britain wants referendum to leave EU (564)

* Absolute right to self-defence within ones [sic] home (380)

* Return of Hanging for Serious Crimes (333)

* Decriminalise recreational drugs (270)

* Remove the ban on gay blood donation (233)

* Formula 1 and other sports events (221)

The Independent.

I do hope everyone will boycott this ludicrous populist distraction.
Or start the most ridiculous "e-petitions" they can think of.
Starting sensible ones about ending the gay blood ban won't make any real difference to government policy, and just give credence to all the "Bring back hanging for paedo drug dealers" Daily Mail bollocks.
Incidentally, does anyone remember the Peter Cook film, The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer?
It's about an advertising executive who becomes a smooth/smarmy Tory MP and begins ruling via endless opinion polls.
Daft, I know.

National Blood Week: If You Want Blood...

"One month on from the first ever National Blood Week (13-19 June), NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) today released new figures* showing that between 13-26 June almost 100,000 people across England and North Wales pledged to give blood, including more than 20,000 first time donors.
"During National Blood Week, NHSBT issued a call for 10,000 people to donate blood after new data showed there had been a 20% drop in young regular donors over the last decade raising concerns for the stability of blood stocks in the future..."

NHS Blood And Transplant news release.
I wonder if any of our readers can think of another way that the NHS could dramatically increase the number of people who donate blood?

The Guardian: Letter To The Editor

I was surprised at the omission from Dr Luisa Dillner's guide to donating blood (G2, 7 June) of the fact that the UK National Blood Service prevents the donation of blood from men who have sex with men. Such a blanket ban prevents a large number of healthy individuals from donating much-needed blood and playing their part in contributing to the welfare of others. Countries such as Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand have all recently changed their policies to allow gay men who pose no risk to the blood supply to donate blood.

Michael Contaldo

Salford

The Sunday Times reported in April that the government may lift the ban and gay and bisexual men will be allowed to donate blood if they haven't had sex with a man since the invention of the motor car.
But seeing as The Sunday Times proudly announced in February 'Gays Will Get Right To Marry' I'd take this with a pinch of tea and biscuits.

Blood Donor Ban: Ten Years After

'Gays Win Fight To Donate Blood', announces The Sunday Times today.
There's an ever so small caveat though; "The ban on gay men giving blood is to be lifted but donors cannot have had sex for 10 years to stop HIV contaminated blood reaching patients."
Which rules out most gay men, and does nothing to address or challenge stigma, but anyway, do go on...
"Anne Milton, the public health minister, is expected to announce the move soon following concerns that the existing blanket ban is discriminatory and could breach equality laws. Gay men who are or have been sexually active are banned from donating to ensure that blood contaminated with HIV does not reach patients."
So basically gay men who don't have sex with men may be able to give blood - grrreat!
Wouldn't it be simpler to only let straight men give blood? No, hang on...
Fagburn advises you don't even get your hopes up about this cop-out.
In February The Sunday Times splashed another big gay scoop across its front page;
'Gays Will Get Right To Marry'
As you may have noticed - and as Fagburn predicted at the time - we "Gays" didn't actually get anything of the sort.