North MP welcomes blood donor move as 'old rules were rooted in homophobia'
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North MP Jamie Stone has welcomed changes that mean more gay and bisexual men can be blood donors.
Previous rules meant they had to wait a three-month period after their last sexual encounter before being allowed to donate blood. This was regarded by campaigners as homophobic because the same rules did not apply to heterosexual men.
Marking World Blood Donor Day in June 2020, Mr Stone tabled a motion in the House of Commons that called on the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) to review the UK's blood donation policy.
This week it was announced that following SaBTO advice the government has updated the rules so that blood donors in long-term relationships – irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender or the type of sex they have – can freely donate blood.
Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said: “I have been campaigning on this issue for some time now, from motions in parliament to social media, and I am so delighted to see that our work has had an impact.
"The old blood donation rules were rooted in homophobia. Well, good riddance to them. This goes to show that, with persistence, change can happen. I am really chuffed to be part of the campaign to improve our blood donation policy.”
