Bisexual, gay men now able to donate blood

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A change in Food and Drug Administration guidelines allows gay and bisexual men to donate blood. That’s something they haven’t been able to do in a long time.

Tuesday made for a special day for Dr. Joe Stabb.

“It’s nerve-racking, I’m excited to do it,” Dr. Stabb said, a gay University of Tennessee professor.

Stabb donated blood for the first time on Tuesday. He said he always wanted to donate blood and tried to when he was in high school.

“I went to give blood, and I was told I was unable to. And I was upset as a kid not understanding,” Stabb said.

He wasn’t allowed to give blood because of FDA guidelines, which changed about a year ago, allowing gay and bisexual men to donate. The Red Cross began accepting them a couple of months ago.

“I’m trying to encourage others, no matter what your lifestyle is, or what your gender identity is, to be able to give what you can,” said the professor.

It’s a big help for the Red Cross too. Leaders said they’re coming out of a blood shortage.

“Anytime we can open up and expand a donor pool, that’s such a great thing because we need more people to come donate,” said Julie Byers, Account Manager for the American Red Cross.

Byers said nobody should have any health concerns about receiving somebody else’s blood.

“All of donations are tested anyways,” she said. “No matter who’s donating, every donation is tested anyway once it goes back to the lab.”

Openly gay University of Tennessee professor donates blood; encourages others to do so

Copyright 2023 WVLT. All rights reserved.