UPDATE:  Today The Department of Health announced that as of November 7th 2011 the lifetime blood ban on gay and bisexual men will be lifted BUT instead replaced by a 12 month deferral period.

While this means men who once experimented years ago or just “tried it to see” will be able to start giving blood again, which is great news HOWEVER it does mean that the millions of gay and bisexual men who, just like their straight counterparts have physical and sexual relationships, will have to continue to face the stigma of being branded a high risk, dangerous and by default, HIV positive. This of course is not what Project Negative and many, many others think.

So boys, just as long as you never have sex, protected or otherwise with any other man and have done so for more than a year then you’re free in the eyes of the NBS and the Government to give blood…..what great news this is…..NOT.

The fact that gay or bi men practising purely safe sex by using protection still cannot give blood means we are less equal than heterosexual men and women. They, heterosexuals, protected or otherwise, can continue to freely give blood.

So you can see that there is still much to fight for.

Discrimination needs to be stamped out.

Sign the petition, started by Tom King, which we support here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/301

“This could potentially lead to 2.3 million extra annual donors. Last year, 1.6 million people donated blood up to three times”

Conceived in 2009 by Adam Stewart and supported by a group of students at Birmingham City University as a university project, Project Negative was created in response to the discriminatory Gay and Bi blood ban policy by the National Blood Service.

Also the recent support from Stonewall after their 2 year review, from the NUS’s blood campaign as well as human rights activist Peter Tatchell. Project Negative looks to overturn the ban with support from the country.

The ban itself stops any male who has ever had oral sex or anal sex with a man from giving blood. This is based purely on our sexuality and not our sexual activity. i.e. not taking into account if we were wearing a condom, last time we were checked for HIV or if we are in a monogamous relationship. This is fundamentally WRONG and DISCRIMINATION which cannot be allowed to continue….

We are looking for ALL to get involved - Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, Straight, Trans, Male, Female, black, white etc

Our Mission:

• To end the blood ban on gay and bi men in the United Kingdom
• Offer resources for local groups and LGBT societies
• To push for support from MP’s, local gay charities and public figures
• Raise awareness of the ban on a more national scale and not just to students
• Help fight international policies on blood ban’s be overturned

We need YOU to make this happen, to make change.