Campaigners against the gay blood ban are disappointed both major parties today joined to vote down a Greens' motion calling for an end to the ban.
Spokesperson for campaign group, Let Us Give, Rodney Croome, said,
"Australia is falling behind comparable countries like the UK and Canada by failing to assess all donors for their individual risk."
"Instead, we still exclude an entire group of people whose blood could be used to save lives."
"We thank the Greens for their motion, and Senators David Pocock and Tammy Tyrrell for supporting it."
"We will be reaching out to members of both major parties to educate them about why blood donor reform is necessary."
In Australia all gay men, and bisexual men, trans women and some non-binary people who have sex with men, are excluded from blood donation unless they abstain from sex for three months.
The UK, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and soon the United States, ask the same question regarding sexual risk to all donors, gay and straight, cisgender and transgender.
The Greens' motion was put to the Senate in the form of an amendment to the Therapeutic Goods Act which go0verns blood donation.
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