FDA eases restrictions on gay blood donors amidst “urgent need”

The Food and Drug Administration, citing an “urgent need for blood,” has eased restrictions on gay men. A bit.

Men who have had sex with other men within 12 months could not donate under the previous rule. Now that widow has been shortened to 3 months.

Restrictions on gay blood donors were initially put in place in 1983 in response to the AIDS crisis. At that time, a lifetime ban was placed on any man who had ever had sex with another man. In 2015, the rule was replaced by the 12 moth window.

Related: Five Reasons Why Homophobia Is The Only Possible Reason The FDA Won’t Change Its Ban On Gay Blood Donors

Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Thursday that it’s “critically important” for HIV+ people not to give blood, but said the new rule is more in line with the time it takes to observe HIV in recently infected people.

“These changes are based on the best science that we have today regarding the time that it takes to test positive for HIV,” he told reporters, saying the change would help to reduce stigma and increase the donor pool.

Earlier this week, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis called for the “antiquated ban” to be “immediately lifted.”

“The FDA cannot let an outdated and discriminatory ban on blood donations from gay and bi men get in the way of potentially life-saving treatment for the country’s painful current health crisis,” she said.

Related: The FDA said he couldn’t give blood because he’s gay… so he donated a kidney in protest

“Gay and bi men who have recovered from COVID-19 and want to donate plasma, or who want to help contribute to a nationwide shortage of blood, are banned from doing so as a result of the FDA. Continuing to enforce this antiquated policy is dangerous, irresponsible, and flies in the face of recommendations from medical experts.”

The Human Right Campaign put out this statement in response to the change:

“While this change by the FDA is a step in the right direction, it still bases itself in bias rather than science. Creating policy based on identity as opposed to risk is irrational and given the current COVID-19 crisis, it is more critical than ever to prioritize science and facts over fear and bias.”

www.queerty.com/fda-eases-restrictions-gay-blood-donors-amidst-urgent-need-20200402?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Trump Administration Expected to Reverse Course, Advise Americans to Wear Masks: WATCH LIVE

President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force is expected to unveil new CDC guidelines that Americans wear masks or other protective facial cloth in public to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The Daily Beast reports: The decision to announce, first reported by Stat News, had been delayed, in part, by fears inside the White House over the optics of issuing new guidelines that directly contradicted those previously pushed out by the federal government, those same sources said. In internal deliberations, members of the administration’s coronavirus taskforce have worried that changing the messaging on masks could raise questions about whether the government made a mistake in its original guidelines, officials say. Officials are also concerned that the new guidelines would end up worsening the supply problems for healthcare workers who are already running low on personal protective gear, including N95 respirators. As such, the administration’s guidance is likely to encourage people to make their own masks at home, an official said. 

More from the Associated Press: The recommendations, still being finalized Thursday, would apply at least to those who live in areas hard-hit by community transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. A person familiar with the White House coronavirus task force’s discussion said officials would suggest that non-medical masks, T-shirts or bandannas be used to cover the nose and mouth when outside the home — for instance, at the grocery store or pharmacy. Medical-grade masks, particularly short-in-supply N95 masks, would be reserved for those dealing directly with the sick. … A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention draft of the guidance would make the covering recommendation apply to nearly all Americans, all over the country, according to a federal official who has seen the draft but was not authorized to discuss it. Some exceptions would be young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing or anyone who is unable to remove the covering without help.

Watch Thursday’s White House briefing below.

The post Trump Administration Expected to Reverse Course, Advise Americans to Wear Masks: WATCH LIVE appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Trump Administration Expected to Reverse Course, Advise Americans to Wear Masks: WATCH LIVE

Rex Lee, Dan Amboyer Star as ‘Vicious Mannies’ in New Comedy Series

The real housewives have nothing on these gay nannies.

www.advocate.com/television/2020/4/02/rex-lee-dan-amboyer-star-vicious-mannies-new-comedy-series

New York trans woman murdered while sitting on a park bench

New York police have launched a search for the murderer of a transgender woman in East Harlem park over the weekend.

GayCityNews reports witnesses alerted police in the early morning hours of March 28, describing the victim, a 33-year-old transwoman identified only as “Lexi,” as sitting on a park bench. An unidentified man approached her, and a verbal altercation ensued. The man then stabbed Lexi in the neck before escaping on a motorized scooter. Police arrived on the scene to find Lexi dead of her wound.

Related: Canadian trans activist Julie Berman found murdered in Toronto

New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio extended his sympathies and expressed outrage over the crime.

“My heart breaks for this woman and for her family,” de Blasio said on Twitter. “We WILL find the person responsible for this heinous crime and bring them to justice. New York City stands with our trans community, now and always.”

Police have yet to identify a suspect or make any arrests.

Lavonia Brooks, a friend of Lexi, told The New York Daily News “I really looked up to her because of her tolerance and respect. Lexi had a beautiful heart, she was very gifted.” She added: “What happened last night was uncalled for.”

www.queerty.com/new-york-trans-woman-murdered-sitting-park-bench-20200402?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Brian Kemp, Chris Cuomo, Gay Blood Ban, Pulse Shooter, O.J. Simpson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Seth Meyers, Lauv, Lindsay Lohan, Ina Garten, Tom Holland: HOT LINKS

SO MUCH WINNING: US weekly jobless claims double to 6.6 million. “Sadly, this probably still underestimates the actual numbers because of the overload in the systems and not every call getting through,” said Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab. “Even if we’re accurately calculating the numbers, we still likely have worse to come.”

DEADLY IGNORANCE: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says he didn’t know asymptomatic people could transmit coronavirus

HE’S KILLING US: Trump Attacks Hospitals As Insatiable ‘Complainers’ Amid Crisis

PARTIAL VICTORY: The FDA Is Easing Its Ban On Blood Donations From Gay And Bisexual Men Because Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

SIBLING RIVALRY: Chris Cuomo makes surprise appearance during brother Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus briefing

RUNNING LOW: Cuomo says New York will exhaust ventilator stockpile in six days

‘I KNOW THIS LOOKS SURREAL’: Los Angeles mayor tells 4 million to wear masks

FORT LAUDERDALE: Cruise ship with sick passengers and sister ship will be allowed to dock in Florida. News that the ships will be allowed to dock follows passengers’ pleading for help after Florida’s governor said he did not want the ships’ passengers “dumped” there.

POSTPONED: Democratic National Convention pushed back to August 

FOUR YEARS LATER: Employer of Pulse shooter cleared of negligence

TIGER KING: O.J. Simpson Just Accused Carole Baskin of Murdering Her Husband

IN MEMORIAM: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Zachary Quinto, more to honor Terrence McNally with livestream reading

LATE-NIGHT CLIP OF THE DAY: Seth Meyers Exposes Fox News’ Sean Hannity Over Huge Coronavirus ‘Hoax’ Lie

FEELING ISOLATED: Lauv Drops Acoustic Version of ‘Modern Loneliness’ to Benefit Crisis Relief Efforts

WHY NOT: Ina Garten made the biggest quarantine cosmopolitan cocktail ever

‘BACK TO ME’: Lindsay Lohan Released A Teaser For Her New Song

THURSDAY THIRST: Tom Holland of Spider-Man

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The post Brian Kemp, Chris Cuomo, Gay Blood Ban, Pulse Shooter, O.J. Simpson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Seth Meyers, Lauv, Lindsay Lohan, Ina Garten, Tom Holland: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Brian Kemp, Chris Cuomo, Gay Blood Ban, Pulse Shooter, O.J. Simpson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Seth Meyers, Lauv, Lindsay Lohan, Ina Garten, Tom Holland: HOT LINKS