Gay Men Barred from Donating Blood to Orlando Victims

Orlando health officials are calling for people to donate blood in the wake of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub that killed 50 people and injured at least 53 others. But the gay community is outraged since, according to the FDA, men who have had sex with another man in the last year should not be allowed to donate.

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Last year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it would lift a ban on gay men donating blood, but only if they have refrained from having sex with other men for at least a year.

The Florida-based organization OneBlood issued a statement on Sunday urging people in Orlando to donate, debunking as "not true" rumors reported by several major news organizations that it was waving the FDA ban on donations from sexually active gay men.

"There is an urgent need for O Negative, O Positive and AB Plasma blood donors following a mass shooting in Orlando, Florida," said a news release from OneBlood, which added that donors should be healthy, age 16 or older and weigh at least 100 pounds. The release said.

All FDA guidelines remain in effect for blood donation. There are false reports circulating that FDA rules were being lifted. Not true.

— OneBlood (@my1blood) June 12, 2016

On social media, members of the gay community have expressed outrage over the fact that they are effectively barred from donating blood to survivors of the Orlando massacre.

“The victims need blood. You know who can't donate it? Their friends,” wrote popular gay romance author Kate Aaron on Twitter.

The FDA claims this policy helps to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV, but gay rights organizations say lacks a scientific basis.

"It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology," said David Stacy, government affairs director of the Human Rights Campaign, in a statement last year.