Gay man SLAMS the Red Cross in a furious rant for not allowing him to donate blood

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Gay man SLAMS the Red Cross in a furious rant for not allowing him to donate blood and save lives: ‘It’s a modern day homophobic organisation’

Scott O’Halloran, who is popular on TikTok for his ‘sassy’ moments has gone viral
He recently ranted about his ineligibility to give blood because of his sexuality
Men are not allowed to donate blood within three months of last sexual activity

By Belinda Cleary For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 01:34 EDT, 3 May 2022 | Updated: 01:39 EDT, 3 May 2022

A gay man has labelled the Australian Red Cross blood service as ‘homophobic’ in furious rant over his ineligibility to give blood.

Footage of popular TikTokker Scott O’Halloran unleashing his fury on the ‘gay man ban’ has gone viral.

The video starts with Scott’s brother Luke secretly filming him by the sink, before casually announcing he plans to give blood.

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Brothers Scott O’Halloran, left, and Luke O’Halloran, right, have slammed the Red Cross’ rules about gay men being ineligible to donate blood

Scott questions whether his brother is stirring him up before saying his peace.

‘Let me not mix my words, the Red Cross is today’s modern day homophobic organisation,’ he said.

‘The reason why I can’t give blood, and let me tell you Luke it is a privilege for you to be able to give blood because you are not gay and I am.

‘I could save somebody’s sick child’s life by donating my blood, but because I have sex with a man I am not allowed to,’ he said.

The Red Cross’ blood donation guidelines indicate men who have participate in sexual activity with another man have to wait three months before they can donate.

This also extends to female partners of men who have had sex with men, the organisation’s information explains.

The wait time was dropped from 12 months to three months after a review of the guidelines in 2020.

Daily Mail understands the Red Cross’s Life Blood arm are continually working with research groups and government bodies to assess their guidelines.

‘We know people are frustrated by these rules, and we too would like to see more change. We are committed to making it easier for more people to donate blood, however it takes time, research, and we need to know that it’s safe and feasible,’ a Red Cross Life Blood spokesperson said.

‘We’re currently exploring reducing the three-month waiting period for plasma donations,’ they said.

‘We know that gay and bisexual men in declared monogamous relationships are a low risk, but as a group they are still at a higher risk of exposure than people in heterosexual relationships,’ they said.

Scott, who is gay, says he is not allowed to give blood because he is married to a man

But this doesn’t make the situation any less frustrating for would-be donors like Scott.

‘It is hurtful I am sick of it, I hear their adds every single day in the car and it tells me I should be saving lives and I should consider donating my blood.

‘If I was to go in there they would turn me away because I am gay,’ he said.

To add to his anger the social media star says the organisation ‘blocked him from their Instagram handle’ when he approached them on the issue.

Speaking to FEMAIL the brothers who have a combined 1.2 million followers on TikTok said they both feel ‘very strongly’ about Scott and other gay men being able to donate.

‘It’s heartbreaking to constantly hear advertisements on radio and or social media pleading for blood donors when there are many gay men willing to help out but purely because I am a man who is in love with and married to another man, I simply cannot donate. It is discrimination and I feel so helpless,’ Scott said.

He also said he has been told he can abstain from having sex for three months if she wants to give blood

‘I’ve been told that I should abstain from having sex with my husband for three months which is abhorrent as I cannot imagine this request being put onto a heterosexual. It feels like the Aust Red Cross hate gay men and their daily ads are constant reminders that I’m still not equal,’ he added.

The Red Cross said anyone who has a higher risk of exposure to HIV is banned from donating for the same period.

According to the organisation’s research 67 percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV in Australia occur in men who have sex with men.

Red Cross Life Blood’s full statement:

We know people are frustrated by these rules, and we too would like to see more change. We are committed to making it easier for more people to donate blood, however it takes time, research, and we need to know that it’s safe and feasible.

We are actively investigating other pathways to allow more people from these groups to donate. As new data and evidence is collected, it becomes part of a body of research used to inform recommendations and decisions about blood donation rules.

We’re currently exploring reducing the 3-month waiting period for plasma donations.

In response to your question about why gay men are prevented from donating blood, men who have had sex with men are currently unable to donate blood if the sexual activity has been in the past 3 months.

This is related to all activity which puts a person at higher risk of exposure to HIV and other infectious diseases.

Even with the very best testing available, early HIV infections may not be picked up by testing. Blood services ask people questions based on health data that shows which groups of people make up recently diagnosed HIV within their population.

In Australia, around 67% of newly diagnosed cases occur in men who have sex with men, who make up a small percentage of the population. We know that gay and bisexual men in declared monogamous relationships are a low risk, but as a group they are still at a higher risk of exposure than people in heterosexual relationships.

As a priority, we are committed to finding an alternative option; however, this takes time, research, and we need to know that it’s safe and feasible.

In relation to our ads, our campaigns are always in the market to remind people to make appointments and attract new donors. We need as many Australians as possible to donate blood, but it’s important to note that eligibility guidelines aren’t changed in response to appeals for blood, as it takes time to do the research, and that any changes need to be acceptable to governments and our regulator.

Only 3 per cent of the population donates every year, and we estimate there are thousands of Australians who meet our eligibility criteria, but presently don’t give blood. Safety is paramount, and Australia is able to have a safe and stable blood supply without introducing unnecessary risk.

People can book a donation at lifeblood.com.au, on the DonateBlood app or by calling 13 14 95.

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