Beloved Philadelphia meteorologist Adam Joseph is using his platform to speak out against the FDA’s discriminatory policy against gay and bisexual men donating blood.
“I want to help everyone as much as I can but someone is telling me I can’t because I am living the life I was born to live,” Joseph told Philadelphia health reporter Ali Gorman in a segment that aired yesterday.
Joseph has been in a monogamous relationship with his partner, Karl, for the last 12 years. The couple has two children together and live no differently than the average hetero couple.
“We look at our life with our two kids, yes we’re two dads, but we’re living a life like any other straight couple,” he said. “You know, we don’t go outside our marriage, we live happily together.”
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But they’re not allowed to give blood because of a 1983 policy that put a lifetime ban on gay or bisexual men giving blood due to the AIDS epidemic.
The restrictions were loosened in 2015 when the FDA announced gay or bisexual men could donate if they didn’t have sex with another man for 12 months. Last year, the time period was reduced to three months due to the pandemic.
As Joseph continues to raise awareness to the discriminatory and nonsensical ban, he is encouraging those who can give blood to do so.
“It can save so many lives,” he said. “Do it for me until I can walk in those doors and do it for all of you.”
Watch.
Scroll down for pics from Joseph’s Instagram page…
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
missvamp
what a sweet family. i agree the policy is stupid. they screen every batch of blood that comes in anyway. so they should be allowing people to give regardless. i worked with the red cross at a college i worked for, organizing drives. when i was the coordinator, the turn out was the highest they ever had. i can’t give blood, due to my health issues, so i made sure everyone else did for me. basically i guilt tripped everyone into donating. LOL
Manrico Jimenez
Hot guy. I hope I look like that when I’m in my 40s/50s. As for the policy, there’s promising news as the Netherlands just changed their rules allowing gay men in monogamous relationships to donate, so hopefully the US/UK will follow their lead.
Fahd
Is there any remaining scientific basis for the policy?
Den
In a word, no.
Openminded
It irked me at the start of the pandemic when those in charge decided it was o.k. to accept gay/bi blood from those who were 3 mos. no msm. Basically they were telling the gay community, “now that the straight community needs blood so badly, your blood is suddenly safe to use”. I assume all blood donations are screened so why should it matter if or when someone has had sex? How do they know if a hetero female who has had sex with an undisclosed bisexual partner hasn’t been exposed to AIDS? I could accept requirements to disclose your recent sexual practices so blood could possibly be more closely tested but to shun the gay community on blood donations is a huge homophobic insult.
Cam
We actually agree on something.
The fact that at the beginning of Covid suddenly “gay” blood was ok to accept meant that it could have been accepted all along. It’s a bigoted and hypocritical policy.
winemaker
Great story. Now how about a story on San Francisco’s channel KABC7’s Drew Tuma? This gorgeous and personable guy needs to be spotlighted. Seeing him and hearing to his weather forecast is one of the highlights of my day,
cuteguy
I hate needles anyway so I’m good
Liquid Silver
I can’t donate anyway due to a minor heart issue that acts up if my blood pressure drops–and with me going nicely vasovagal around needles.
But even if I could, screw ’em anyway with that policy. The last time I had sex with a man was (checks watch…) The fact that my husband and I are monogamous means nothing, apparently.
JM Clark_1966
We can not give plasma either.
BGreen1963
Sorry, I gave blood regularly when I was younger. But since the Religious Right led by little ronnie ray gun decided my blood was contaminated and I must be diseased and politicians from both sides have allowed this I’m looking at you Adulterer Clinton and you Barack(you’ve forgotten how they wouldn’t give blood from a black person to a white person for a LONG time) none of you can have my pristine bright red goodness. I’d give specifically to the LGBTQ Community and allies that stand up for us if I know someone who needs it. But straight America is on their own till they wake the hell up. This issue only rises up and gets noticed when they get desperate. Screw that. No rights, no blood!
Doug
I thought they reversed this stupid policy last year?
Roy Moss
Hey, I’m happy to keep my blood to myself. If straight people hate us so much that they’d rather die than get a blood transfusion with blood from a gay person, it’s certainly fine by me. Let em die.