On May 10, the Canadian Blood Service offered an apology for the ban on blood donations from gay men and trans women. For most of my life, the CBS treated my blood as filthy. Even though I’ve only had sex a handful of times in my life and was regularly tested, my blood was considered a threat to the supply while that of straight people engaging in far riskier sexual activity with no testing faced no such degrading assessment. All because of who I was not what I did.
The policy was put in place with the intent to protect patient safety after the Canadian blood system crisis of the 1980s. We regret that for many years the former policy also contributed to discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and HIV stigma within society.
Canadian Blood Services apology letter
The policy targeting gay men was introduced in the mid-80’s at a time when the Canadian government was openly purging gay and lesbian workers from its ranks. The response to the HIV virus, the scapegoating for the tainted blood scandal, and the blanket blood ban is inextricable from this homophobia. The ban was later explicitly extended from men who have sex with men to trans women. Whether through indifference or cowardice, the prohibition continued until 2022. With no credible science justifying such a policy into the new millennium, the CBS turned to absurd claims such as that between a quarter and a third of all trans women had HIV in Canada. I dug into the origins of this particular assertion about trans women in 2020.
Instead of admitting that the science didn’t justify this ban, the CBS upheld demonstrably false claims at the expense of people like me who were presented as a threat. They did so up until two years ago, and that is so recent that it makes it hard for me to accept this apology as authentic. Especially as the CBS doesn’t acknowledge these actions at all.
Canadian Blood Services apologizes to gay, bi, and queer men, trans people and queer people more broadly, for the impact of the former deferral policy. We acknowledge how this policy reinforced the harmful public perception that someone’s blood is somehow less safe, because of their sexual orientation.
Canadian Blood Services apology letter
I do support the agency releasing their statement. If it brings relief to a single person who was hurt by their actions, then that’s reason enough. I am however simultaneously deeply frustrated and skeptical.
My anger is to do with a larger pattern in Canadian institutions: cis and straight people in positions of power can hurt gender and sexual minorities with impunity for years, including those working for them. Then when it becomes profitable to do so, or untenable not to, they change tack and walk away without consequence. Meanwhile, endured years of substandard living or worse because of the rejection they faced in all aspects of their life. Though small, the blood ban and the associated intellectually dishonest claims were a contributor to that hostility. The reversal of homophobic and transphobic stances across various organizations, of which again the CBS was only one, doesn’t reverse the fortunes of those who were most impacted. If only it that could be solved by publishing a letter.
To assuage my skepticism, I need proof that there was a fundamental shift in values that transcend gender identity and sexual orientation. Show me what individuals within the organization will do to act differently, because an apology written by committee is hardly an indicator of personal contrition. Demonstrate to me how the next oft-maligned minority will be spared this humiliating treatment. I want to know that this change in trajectory wasn’t for reasons far shallower and self-interested, and that they won’t reverse it when the sociopolitical winds change.
I will nonetheless donate blood. The blood supply is dwindling. I will also remain bitter; that’s to be expected when the entity collecting it have stigmatized me and those I love for nearly the entirety of my adult life.