Messages left Sunday for OneBlood and FDA officials were not immediately returned. Gay rights activists said it still perpetuated negative stereotypes dating to the beginning of the AIDS crisis. and other countries, and researchers said it could slightly increase the U.S.
But the lifetime ban was replaced with a new policy barring donations from men who have had sex with a man in the previous year. In December, the Food and Drug Administration lifted a three-decade-old ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. There are false reports circulating that FDA rules were being lifted. 'All FDA guidelines remain in effect for blood donation. While many Facebook and Twitter posts from individuals and at least one gay advocacy group in Florida said no one would be turned away and all blood would be screened, OneBlood denied any change in policy. Over 50 people were injured and 50 were killed when a gunman opened fire early Sunday inside the downtown Orlando club Pulse. The response overwhelmed OneBlood donation centers, where officials asked donors to make appointments and continue donating over the next several days. Hundreds lined up to give blood Sunday in Orlando to help the victims of the massacre at a gay nightclub, but major restrictions remain for gay men wanting to give blood themselves.
