LGBTQ History Month: LGBTQ Community Makes Lifesaving Contributions Through Red Cross After Historic Change in Blood Donation Eligibility

Members of the LGBTQ+ community have long been an important part of our mission, and the American Red Cross celebrates and honors our LGBTQ+ blood donors, volunteers, partners and employees during LGBTQ+ History Month, including the history makers who have supported recent changes in blood donor eligibility.

The Red Cross was proud to be part of LGBTQ+ history as the first major blood bank in the nation to implement updated FDA guidelines that eliminated blood donation policies based on sexual orientation, allowing more healthy people to safely donate blood. The Red Cross was also proud to be a leading contributor in the ADVANCE Study which helped lead to these updated FDA guidelines that have made the blood donation process more inclusive than ever before.

Countless LGBTQ+ individuals have been part of the historic change in donor eligibility by participating in the ADVANCE Study, becoming blood donors and supporting blood drives under the updated FDA guidelines, showing that blood donations from LGBTQ+ individuals and groups are an important and growing part of ensuring a stable blood supply.

We are thankful to these individuals who took action in the past, and continue to take action in the present, to positively influence historic change resulting in more people being able to safely help hospital patients through the gift of blood donation.

There is a place for everyone in the mission of the Red Cross. Learn more about how you can join this effort at redcross.orgor 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). You can find blood donation information specific to the LGBTQ+ community and stories of some of the people now engaging in our blood services mission at RedCrossBlood.org/LGBTQ.

See just a few of the many LGBTQ+ history makers who have engaged in the Red Cross mission to support hospital patients through blood donation in the carousel of images above.