PHOTO VIA CITY OF ORLANDO
The City of Orlando, Orange County, and OneBlood just launched a community blood drive at Orlando City Hall this week, inspired by the 10th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, encouraging Central Florida residents to donate throughout June.
“One of my most vivid memories from one of the darkest moments in our city’s history was seeing thousands of residents line up around the block to donate blood,” said Orlando Mayor John Dyer. “As we mark 10 years since Pulse, we honor that spirit of compassion by encouraging everyone who is able to donate blood and help save lives.”
Coincidentally, this is the time of year when blood centers typically see donation levels drop while hospital demand stays high.
Those interested in participating should take note, though. For years following Pulse, many gay and bisexual men who wanted to donate blood in honor of the victims were legally barred from doing so under FDA rules that prohibited men who have sex with men from donating at all. The FDA updated those rules in 2023, moving to an individual risk-based assessment that applies equally to all donors regardless of sexual orientation. Under the current policy, donors are asked about recent sexual behavior rather than identity, but men who have had a new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months and have had anal sex are still deferred for three months. The policy is more inclusive than it was, but it still defers some gay and bisexual men who would otherwise want to donate.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings encouraged all eligible residents to give. “A single donation can help save multiple lives,” he said.
Appointments and donation locations are available HERE.
