A Florida legislator and COVID-19 survivor was turned away when he tried to donate plasma, which doctors say helps those currently suffering from the virus survive.
Democrat State Representative Shevrin Jones from Broward County says he went to OneBlood, and answered the screening questions honestly, identifying himself as a homosexual male who has had sexual contact within the last three months.
"You are now put into a room and felt as if you're being scolded for trying to save a life. No one should have to deal with that."
OneBlood spokeswoman Susan Forbes says their hands are tied.
"All blood centers are required to follow the rules and regulations handed down by the Food and Drug Administration. We as an industry have worked in different capacities with different studies to see if changes can be made to that policy."
The FDA in 1985 barred gay men from donating blood and plasma to reduce the transmission of HIV and AIDS.
In 2015, that rule was changed to allow the donations as long as the donor was abstinent for an entire year. This past April, due to the pandemic, the FDA changed the rule from 12 months to 3 months.
But Jones says that's still discriminatory.
"It's weird because anyone else could be out the night before, doing God knows what, and they are a heterosexual male or female and those kinds of questions are not being asked of you."
The lawmaker has tweeted that he hopes Florida's U.S. Senators work to change federal policies for blood and plasma donations.
Jones' tweets caught the attention of Florida Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz.
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Photo: CBS 12