Just.equal spokesperson, Rodney Croome, urged medical professionals to sign the declaration.
"Research from countries that moved from banning gay, bisexual and transgender donors to individual risk assessment clearly shows the blood supply is safer, more plentiful and less discriminatory as a result."
"I urge medical professionals who support a better blood donation policy for Australia to sign the declaration."
"We will present the declaration to Australia's health ministers, as their part of their current consideration of the changes to blood donor policy."
In the new video, Dr Nick McIntosh says the current bans allow "outdated prejudices (to) get in the way of a safe and plentiful supply of blood", and calls on the authorities to allow him and other gay Australians to "give the gift of life".
The full text is here:
As a doctor I'm dedicated to saving lives but as a gay man I can't give blood.
I want to see the current gay blood ban lifted and replaced with individual risk assessment for all potential blood donors.
The science shows us that this would make the blood supply safer, and it would mean there'll be more blood available to save lives.
I don't like being stigmatised as a threat to public health. Who would?
But most of all I don't like to see outdated prejudices get in the way of a safe and plentiful supply of blood.
Let me and other gay Australians give the gift of life.
In April, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Therapeutic Goods Administration announced the current celibacy period for gay, bisexual and transgender donors would be reduced from twelve months to three, a change all Australian health ministers are consulted on.
Following a letter writing campaign auspiced jointly by just.equal and PFLAG, which has already seen 5000 emails sent to the nation's health ministers, three health ministers have asked their respective departments to consider individual risk assessment, the ACT, West Australia and Tasmania.
Mr Croome dismissed the proposed three month celibacy period as window dressing.
"Forcing gay, bisexual and trsansgender people to be celibate for three months before they can donate blood does not increase the supply of safe blood and contnues to stimgatise us as a threat to public health."
"Only fear and prejudice stop Australia moving to individual risk assessment."
The movement for blood donor reform has grown significantly in recent months.
U.S. LGBTIQ advocacy organisation, GLAAD, has released declarations from medical professionals and politicians in support of reform, and UK group, Freedom to Donate, has also released a statement supporting reform from British politicians.
At the same time, Hungary and Brasil have joined the growing list of countries that have replaced the ban on gay blood donation with individual risk assessment.
The declaration can be found here:
For Dr Nick McIntosh's video on YouTube:
For the video on Facebook:
The letter-writing campaign can be found here:
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information, or to speak to Dr McIntosh, contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.
