See New York State Senator Brad Hoylman’s statement on the prejudicial blood ban below:

There is a severe supply shortage of blood due to the pandemic across the country, including New York, yet the FDA still bans me from donating. These policy makers would rather cling to their outdated and homophobic policies than allow LGBTQ+ Americans to donate. I can donate blood in Israel, in Italy, in Argentina, yet I can’t donate blood at home. That is wrong, and that must be changed.

I helped put on two blood drives for LGBTQ+ allies to donate for those who are barred from giving. Until the FDA lets me donate, I will continue to host blood drives to meet the current blood and plasma shortage and raise awareness about this discriminatory policy not rooted in science.

State Senator Brad Hoylman, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, represents New York’s 27th State Senate District. Senator Hoylman champions a wide range of issues, such as housing, transportation, public education, LGBTQ rights, environment and seniors. He has passed over sixty bills in the Senate, including GENDA, which extended human rights protections to transgender New Yorkers; and banning the practice of sexual orientation change efforts, or so-called “conversion therapy.” Senator Hoylman was the lead sponsor of legislation to legalize gestational surrogacy for LGBTQ people and individuals struggling with infertility. Senator Hoylman is also a longtime grassroots activist, serving previously as a Democratic District Leader and three-term chair of Manhattan Community Board 2. He is the past president of the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats and a former board member of Tenants & Neighbors and Citizen Action. Senator Hoylman graduated from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes scholar, and Harvard Law School. Before being elected to the Senate, he practiced law and was general counsel of the Partnership for New York City, the city’s leading business and civic organization.