Apr 20, 2026, 01:16

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:16:11 +0000
lifeblood, bloodbank, hivaids, redcross, australianredcross, lgbt, lgbtqia

Lifeblood's blood donation eligibility expands for gay and bisexual men, transgender people
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-20/lifeblood-gender-neutral-assessment-for-blood-donation/106578630

Ever since the emergence of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, and the rampant homophobia and mismanagement in medical professions that helped HIV/AIDS turn into a crisis, the Australian Red Cross has had an overtly anti-LGBT policy regarding who can donate blood or platelets.

The Australian Red Cross insisted on maintaining that policy of exclusion even when called-out for it in recent years. They weren't hiding it; the Blood Bank put it in everyone's face with certain questions in their questionnaire that you fill-in before you donate your blood. I've filled-in those forms and found those questions distasteful. Everyone could see those questions had no basis in medical science, risk management, testing, record-keeping, or their duty of care for patients.

It's shocking to think the hate-based policies of the Australian Red Cross impeded their ability for the last 40 years to collect blood donations from the community to such an extent that it sometimes led to shortages of donor blood in hospitals. This reduced availability and slower emergency access would have cost some patients their life.

I think today's news signals a decades-overdue change of attitude from the Australian Red Cross toward gay and bisexual men and transgender people.

[Edit: nope, it doesn't. The "improved" version of the questionnaire includes a question that's so irrelevant to cis people that it will fly under the radar for most, but it appears designed to hurt and push away trans people.]

I'm yet to see the details, so currently I'm taking it at face-value and with cautious optimism. All-up, I hope that means better care for everyone.

[Edit: now I've seen some of the details, thanks to comments below. This "update" by Australian Red Cross is not about inclusion. It's about enshrining their exclusion of trans people. And the Australian Red Cross are giving themself a pat on the back for it. It's revolting.]