He said that while donating blood or tissue is not a “constitutional right,” the federal government isn’t allowed to discriminate against donors based on sexual orientation. Ian Thompson is an ACLU legislative representative who works on policy issues affecting the LGBT community and people living with AIDS. What disqualifies them? They are men who have sex with men.Īrguing that being gay is not a legitimate reason to exclude these men from organ donation, a group of LGBT advocates and politicians are pushing for a change in federal regulations. needs blood, according to the American Red Cross.Īlthough the demand for donations is high, current regulations place outdated restrictions on a whole sector of healthy potential donors. The number doesn’t include the 1 million tissue transplants needed each year (such as corneas and heart valves), or Americans requiring blood transfusions. Most of these individuals are waiting for kidneys others are looking for a heart, a set of lungs, intestines, or a pancreas. Nearly 125,000 people are on the national waiting list for lifesaving internal organs.