WATCH: Tory MP Michael Fabricant: ‘Gay men have to lie in order to give blood’
In a video aired on the BBC today, Tory MP Michael Fabricant calls for the equalisation of blood donation rules for men who have sex with men.
Mr Fabricant last month called for an end to the 12-month deferral on gay and bisexual men donating blood, in a Parliamentary 10-minute motion.
At present, men who have sex with men (MSM) can only give blood in England, Wales and Scotland if they have not had sex for 12 months or more – and remain banned from donating for life in Northern Ireland.
In June, the Department of Health (DH) rejected calls by the Green Party to end the restrictions.
Mr Fabricant appeared in an interview with the Daily Politics show today alongside Tory Energy Minister Amber Rudd, followed by the video in which he says he has a gay friend who has safe sex, but must lie in order to give blood.
He told PinkNews: “I am pleased that Energy Minister Amber Rudd agreed with me on the programme that blood donation by gay people does indeed need to be looked at again by an independent clinical panel. There clearly is no logic to the ban as it stands right now.”
