On May 10, CEO of Canadian Blood Services, Dr. Graham Sher delivered a formal apology to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across Canada.
The apology acknowledged the harms experienced by gay, bisexual, and queer men, trans people, and other members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, because of a former donor eligibility policy. It reflects specifically on how the former policy, which prevented all sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people, from donating blood and plasma, reinforced the harmful public perception that someone’s blood is somehow less safe, because of their sexual orientation.
CBRC's Executive Director, Michael Kwag, is part of Canadian Blood Services' 2SLGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee, which has played an integral role in the development of the apology. He attended the event to share some reflections on the apology and hopes for the future of queer and trans people donating blood and other biological materials.
Michael's Remarks
Good morning to everyone here and joining us online, and thank you Graham for the introduction. I want to start by thanking you and your team at Canadian Blood Services for engaging me and CBRC for this historic apology.
As Graham said I’m here representing CBRC – an organization dedicated to promoting the health and wellbeing of queer, trans, and Two-Spirit people and communities across Canada.
As such, the issue of denying 2SLGBTQIA+ people from donating blood in Canada has been on our radar for some time. Our job at CBRC is to centre queer and trans people in healthcare and health research – and we have been proud to be among the many voices pushing for more inclusive and non-stigmatizing donor policies and practices. Voices that have included community organizations, activists, researchers, and of course, queer people who for far too long, have unnecessarily been excluded from contributing to Canada’s blood and other medical donation systems.
And not just excluded – but ostracized. That othering has had an enormous impact on how society thinks about our communities. How we are, quote, “dangerous, unsafe, or unclean.”
This apology from the Canadian Blood Services acknowledges their role in perpetuating those harmful and misguided beliefs well beyond what was right or necessary – and for that they have my appreciation.
I’d also like to give them credit for working to establish leadership and accountability on the historic wrongs associated with previous deferral policies targeting gay, bi, and queer men and trans people. Stigma and discrimination towards queer people, and people living with or affected by HIV and/or other blood borne pathogens continues to be a global threat.
The fact that in Canada we are hearing this apology and acknowledgement of harm is a critically important step. I hope governments and blood regulators around the world are taking note and follow this lead. But just because Canada is out in front with this apology doesn’t mean we’ve crossed the finish line.
I’m glad that today’s apology includes a commitment to making donation centres more welcoming and inclusive – because it is still more difficult than it should be for queer and trans people to donate blood, as well as organ, tissue, and other biological materials.
And that’s very frustrating. It’s frustrating because the primary message in the work on HIV and sexual health that CBRC and community health organizations does is to take ownership of your health. Get tested. Get on PrEP or HIV treatment. Learn about U=U, that having an undetectable HIV viral load means being untransmittable to sexual partners. Do it for yourself and for others.
And yet, being on PrEP – which is the most evidence-backed HIV prevention tool – precludes you from donating blood. I myself cannot donate for this very reason.
Just take a moment to think about how aggravating that is.
I am a gay man who leads Canada’s largest queer health organization. I am making choices, such as being on PrEP, that science tells me protects my health and the health of others.
And yet I would still be turned away if I tried to donate.
I don’t mean to discredit deferral policy changes that have been made these past several years, or today’s apology.
I mention this to illustrate the chasm between what our community wants – which is a healthy and safe Canada for all – and how these donation centres talk about and treat us.
So just as Canada is being a global leader with this apology – let’s also be a global leader in advancing the science around how we understand and manage risk when it comes to blood, organ, tissue, and other medical donations.
Because we all want and need a blood supply that is safe and readily available for anyone who needs it. Queer and trans people do, and so too do other people affected by policies that disproportionately defer or prevent certain communities from donation. This includes African, Caribbean and Black communities, who are impacted by donor policies for malaria, as well as people who engage in sex work.
Many queer and trans people also belong to these communities, so this is an issue that impacts all of us.
And on behalf of everyone who has been, and may still be excluded from donating, I say let’s keep pushing. Let’s use today’s apology as evidence that we can work together to improve Canada’s blood system with understanding and empathy. We can do better.
Like I said, we all want a healthy and safe Canada – so let’s build one together.
Thank you.
Watch the full press conference here:
