Why Are Gay Men Banned From Donatg Blood?</tle><meta name="tle" ntent="Why Are Gay Men Banned From Donatg Blood?" /><meta name="scriptn" ntent="Gay and bisexual men face a time-based ban on givg blood. But fairer practic uld help save over a ln people a year whout the risk of spreadg HIV. " /><meta name="keywords" ntent="isNoteworthy" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="webse" /><meta name="theme-lor" ntent="#000000" /><lk href="/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/imag/" rel="in" /><meta property="og:se_name" ntent="Men's Health" /><meta name="fb:app_id" ntent="128455567236258" property="fb:app_id" /><meta name="article:publisher" ntent=" property="article:publisher" /><meta name="twter:se" ntent="@MensHealthMag" /><meta name="google-se-verifitn" ntent="KD2AYNrwYjrNCwZthxgElsAAkSgJhWPxx3FkmjgfPt0" /><meta property="og:tle" ntent="The U.S. Has a Blood Shortage. Lettg Gay Men Donate Could Help Solve the Crisis." /><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="Gay and bisexual men face an absurd and archaic ban. Changg that uld be a life-saver for lns over time. " /><meta name="robots" ntent="max-image-preview:large,max-snippet:-1,max-vio-preview:30" /><lk rel="apple-touch-in" href="/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/imag/" /><meta property="og:image" ntent="" /><meta property="og:image:width" ntent="1200" /><meta property="og:image:height" ntent="600" /><meta name="thumbnail" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent=" /><meta name="twter:image" ntent="" /><meta ntent=" property="og:url" /><meta name="to-publish" ntent="never" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="article" /><meta name="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image" /><meta name="article:opn" property="article:opn" /><meta ntent="Health" property="article:sectn" /><meta ntent="2022-01-25T21:08:02Z" property="article:modified_time" /><meta ntent="2021-03-29T13:30:00Z" property="article:published_time" /><meta name="sailth.excerpt" ntent="AMERICAN HOSPITALS ARE flood wh sick patients, and not everyone there is battlg Covid-19. Many people need blood transfns— fact, the Amerin Red Cross timat that someone the U.S. requir a blood donatn every two sends. The untry’s blood supply is also nng dangeroly low: About 30 percent of" /><meta name="" ntent="health,Health" /><meta name="" ntent="2021-03-29 13:30:00" /><meta name="sailth.socialtle" ntent="The U.S. Has a Blood Shortage. 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href="/health/a35877353/gay-men-blood-donatn-eligibily/" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Breadcmbs" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Lettg Gay Men Donate Blood Could Help Solve a Major Health Crisis" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="e9l0kn00 css-10e6ywj e1c1bym14"><span emProp="name">Lettg Gay Men Donate Blood Could Help Solve a Major Health Crisis</span></a><meta emProp="posn" ntent="2" /></li></ol></nav><style data-emotn="css sgwfvb">{font-fay:GraphikConnsed,GraphikConnsed-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:3rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.1;}} em, i{paddg-right:0.3125rem;}</style><h1 class="css-sgwfvb exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>Lettg Gay Men Donate Blood Could Help Solve a Major Health Crisis<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css gpc83z">{lor:#595959;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;marg-top:0.625rem;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.125rem;le-height:1.2;}} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#d2232e;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-gpc83z exadjwu8"><p>The U.S. fac a natnal blood shortage. Overturng a biased and outdated ban is not only the right thg— has enormo life-savg potential. </p></div><style data-emotn="css 61aae5">{lor:#6F6F6F;display:le;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;marg-bottom:0.625rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}} span{le-height:1.6;}</style><div class="css-61aae5 exadjwu7"><style data-emotn="css l61bhe">{lor:#6F6F6F;display:le;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><addrs class="css-l61bhe ehvvd9m2"><style data-emotn="css 1rxc7sd">{lor:#6F6F6F;display:le;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><span class="css-1rxc7sd ehvvd9m1">By <style data-emotn="css 1nlla76">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#d2232e;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href="/thor/222996/zachary-zane/" class="css-1nlla76 e1c1bym14">Zachary Zane</a></span><style data-emotn="css w0ebia">{display:le-block;text-transform:upperse;marg-left:0.625rem;}</style><time class="css-w0ebia exadjwu6">Published: Mar 29, 2021</time></addrs></div><style data-emotn="css wkpw2c">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;}</style><div class="no-prt css-wkpw2c exadjwu15"><style data-emotn="css 1hpjtwr">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;posn:relative;marg-top:0.9375rem;}</style><div class="ntent-hear-actns css-1hpjtwr exadjwu14"><style data-emotn="css 1ws6gao">{-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;background-lor:#d2232e;borr:th solid #d2232e;borr-radi:0;lor:#ffffff;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:row;-ms-flex-directn:row;flex-directn:row;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;marg-bottom:0rem;marg-top:0rem;paddg:0.625rem;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;text-transform:upperse;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;width:to;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.9375rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.9375rem;le-height:1.3;}}{marg-left:1rem;}{outle:0.125rem dotted #000000;outle-offset:0.2rem;}{background-lor:#ffffff;lor:#d2232e;cursor:poter;borr:th solid #595959;} svg{fill:#d2232e;} svg>path{fill:#d2232e;} svg>path{fill:#ffffff;}</style><button data-tooltip-id="article-hear-save" class="ntentSaveButton css-1ws6gao e12nq69g1"><style data-emotn="css 1hnn6">{width:1rem;height:1rem;marg-right:0.625rem;} path{fill:#ffffff;} path{fill:#d2232e;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out 0s;transn:all 0.3s ease--out 0s;}</style><svg xmlns=" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 48 62" class="css-1hnn6 e10k4xbi2"><path fill="#000" fill-le="evenodd" d="M24 46.52 48 61V0H0v61.44l24-14.92ZM5.67 50.9 24 39.5l18.33 11.4V5.7H5.67v45.2Z" clip-le="evenodd"></path></svg>Save Article</button><style data-emotn="css 1w6cje5">{width:160px;text-align:left;lor:#595959;font-fay:Inter,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.70284rem;le-height:1.1;font-weight:normal;letter-spacg:0.045rem;text-transform:none;}</style></div></div></div></div></hear><style data-emotn="css 149neno">{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;max-width:m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2));} .e152u5os0{marg-left:lc((100vw - m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2)))/-2);width:100vw;}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){ .e152u5os0{marg-left:lc(lc((100vw - m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2)))/-2) - 3.5rem);}}@media(m-width: 90rem){ .e152u5os0{paddg-left:0.1rem;paddg-right:0.1rem;marg-left:lc(lc((100vw - m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2)))/-2));}}</style><div class="longform-ntaer ntent-ntaer article-ntaer css-149neno ewisyje2"><style data-emotn="css z6i669">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.5rem;paddg-right:3.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{max-width:45.25rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem) and (max-width: 100rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}{clear:both;ntent:" ";display:block;font-size:0.7rem;le-height:1.5rem;height:0rem;visibily:hidn;}</style><div class="article-body-ntent article-body longform-body css-z6i669 ewisyje7"><style data-emotn="css 18vfmjb">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong>AMERICAN HOSPITALS ARE</strong> flood wh sick patients, and not everyone there is battlg Covid-19. Many people need blood transfns— fact, the <style data-emotn="css 38knzi">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.125rem;text-ratn-lor:#d2232e;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#000;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;background-lor:#F3B032;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}</style><a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Amerin Red Cross" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Amerin Red Cross</a><u> timat that </u>someone the U.S. requir a blood donatn every two sends. The untry’s blood supply is also nng dangeroly low: <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="About 30 percent of centers across the natn" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">About 30 percent of centers across the natn</a> have a supply that uld n out one day or ls and mt be refully managed. And more than half of all centers have ls than a three-day stockpile for tim of crisis. </p><p data-no-id="1" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">That’s bee the panmic <u>forced the ncellatn of blood driv</u>—three tim as many were nceled 2020 pared wh the year before, acrdg to the Red Cross. Collectns at high schools and lleg dropped by 50 percent over that same perd. If we don’t get more blood donors fast, we’re not gog to be able to treat people wh ser burns, those havg heart surgeri and an transplants, and those battlg ncer. </p><p data-no-id="2" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">But there is one easily implementable solutn to the natnal blood-supply shortage that’s been available for years and uld be a lifele: allowg gay and bisexual men to donate eely. Right now the U.S., gay and bisexual men (often referred to as MSM, or “men who have sex wh men”) are not allowed to give blood if they’ve had sex wh another man the past three months. The same is te for women who’ve had sex wh MSM.</p><style data-emotn="css 9417ib">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:45%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:45%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:45%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="3" class="align-right size-medium embed css-9417ib e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="men's health mvp sign up" tle="men's health mvp sign up" loadg="lazy" width="320" height="100" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css 78jldq">{paddg-left:0rem;}</style><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css fwfucd">{width:0;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} em{font-fay:CharterItalic,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;}</style><div class="css-fwfucd e1xqj1sx1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Click here</a> to jo for more exclive health and fns ntent.</div><style data-emotn="css 1am3yn9">{paddg-left:0rem;le-height:1;}</style><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><style data-emotn="css 11z3u4d">{lor:#6F6F6F;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="4" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Allowg MSM equal accs to donate uld crease the total annual blood supply by 2 to 4 percent, addg anywhere om 345,400 to 615,300 pts of blood each year, the <u>Williams Instute at UCLA reported 2014.</u> Rearchers timated would help save the liv of more than a ln people, and experts agree this wouldn’t be puttg anyone at addnal risk of HIV—a fear that many scientists say needs to be put to rt. Ayako Miyasha Ochoa, lead thor of the 2014 report, remas flummoxed as to why, seven years after potg out the obv benef, the change hasn’t happened. “It is my opn that we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science,” she says.</p><p data-no-id="5" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The ntuatn of a MSM-specific barrier to givg is not only limg the blood supply, ’s unnecsary and “rooted homophobia,” explas <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Perry N. Halkis" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Perry N. Halkis</a>, Ph.D., M.P.H., an of the School of Public Health at Rutgers Universy. So far, the FDA has been reluctant to overhl s policy, but as the need for h blood be ever more urgent, health and social-jtice advot are pumpg new energy to the fight. </p><style data-emotn="css f1dz33">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="small" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="6" class="align-center size-small embed css-f1dz33 e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="why the ban exists" tle="why the ban exists" loadg="lazy" width="1920" height="597" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="7" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong>BLOOD-DONATION DISCRIMINATION </strong>agast MSM started <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="1983" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">1983</a> at the height of the AIDS epimic, when the FDA stuted a lifetime ban on any man who’d had sex wh another man sce 1977. “You uld potentially unrstand why this ban me to place nearly four s ago,” says <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Marguera Lightfoot" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Marguera Lightfoot</a>, Ph.D., director of the Center for AIDS Preventn Studi. </p><style data-emotn="css 1mtk2uq">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="8" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science" tle="we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science" loadg="lazy" width="2058" height="2793" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="9" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">At the time, doctors were only begng to exame how exactly HIV was transmted and whom uld affect. “We were still tryg to figure out the transmissn of the vis, and all we knew was that this populatn was disproportnately impacted,” Lightfoot says. Now ’s clear that HIV transmissn isn’t about whether you have sex wh men; ’s about whether you have safe sex, no matter who you are. </p><p data-no-id="10" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">For years, LGBTQ activist groups have enuraged the FDA to remove s rtrictn, notg that the ban isn’t rooted science and perpetuat stigma. Medil experts like Lightfoot agree. “It don’t make sense to have a blanket class of people who n’t donate blood,” she says. “People should be screened for risky sexual behavr, such as not wearg ndoms when havg sex, as opposed to sexual orientatn.”</p><p data-no-id="11" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">In 2015, the<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="FDA loosened s rtrictn" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">FDA loosened s rtrictn</a>, permtg gay and bisexual men to donate blood as long as they hadn’t had sex wh another man the past year. That wasn’t much of a victory, acrdg to LGBTQ activist anizatn<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="GLAAD" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">GLAAD</a>, which quickly untered wh a bg vio starrg actor <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Alan Cummg" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Alan Cummg</a> as the head of a fict ernment agency charge of enuragg abstence. (“That’s right—365 days of celibacy!” Cummg exclaimed wh mock excement before sharg a list of hobbi that quickly turned sexually suggtive.) </p><style data-emotn="css gv3b6u">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="12" class="align-left size-large embed css-gv3b6u e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="removg the ban would alleviate the stigma, and uld help save the liv of lns of amerins" tle="removg the ban would alleviate the stigma, and uld help save the liv of lns of amerins" loadg="lazy" width="2130" height="2853" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="13" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">GLAAD then created a petn enuragg the FDA to screen donors based on their exposure to risk and not on sexual orientatn. But took a natnal emergency for thgs to fally shift a b. InApril 2020, as blood donatns plummeted due to the panmic, the FDA updated s rtrictn to a three-month abstence perd before donatg. </p><p data-no-id="14" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Activist anizatns cludg GLAAD say three months is still discrimatn, and they’ve kept phg the FDA to lift the ban entirely. “The time ferrals are based discrimatn and stigma, not science,” says Mathew Lasky, GLAAD’s director of munitns. “We’re ntug to put prsure on the FDA and are workg wh celebri and elected officials to get the word out.”</p><p data-no-id="15" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">In mid-April, the group shared an open letter, signed by 500 medil profsnals, that stat that the FDA revisn is “a step the right directn, [but] do not go far enough reversg the unscientific ban.” </p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">An FDA spokperson told <em>Men’s Health</em> an email that the agency is now reexamg this issue, cludg “takg to acunt the current body of scientific rmatn, and we are nsirg the possibily of pursug alternative strategi that mata blood safety.”</p><div size="small" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="17" class="align-center size-small embed css-f1dz33 e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="why the blood supply would rema safe" tle="why the blood supply would rema safe" loadg="lazy" width="1920" height="846" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="18" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong>PART OF WHAT MAKES</strong> the current ban so archaic is that when was stated, the U.S. didn’t have the sensive tectn methods for HIV donated blood. Now we do. <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Every blood donatn is tted" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Every blood donatn is tted</a> for HIV two different ways (through antibody analysis and NAT, a molecular technique for blood screeng). As a rult, the rate of accintally acquirg HIV through a blood transfn is extremely low—<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="roughly one 1.5 ln" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">roughly one 1.5 ln</a>.</p><p data-no-id="19" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">There are current tts, specifilly RNA tts, that n tect HIV wh 11 days of exposure. So if the FDA wanted to keep a time-ferral ban, uld utilize the tts and shorten the eligibily rtrictn to men who haven’t had sex wh another man the past 11 days. There is no reason to keep at three months, Halkis says.</p><p data-no-id="20" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Regardls, people who don’t engage behavrs associated wh high risk of HIV exposure shouldn’t need to wa at all to give. For example, if you’re a gay man who wears ndoms durg sex, you lim your risk of ntractg HIV. Same go for gay men who are married or a long-term monogamo relatnship. Addnally, takg PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) daily n crease the likelihood of acquirg HIV through sexual ntact by 99 percent.</p><style data-emotn="css 10ks0yw">{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}</style><div data-embed="loop" data-no-id="21" class="css-10ks0yw e1a0jkxd0"><style data-emotn="css 8atqhb">{width:100%;}</style><style data-emotn="css 1e3dj7m">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:row-reverse;-ms-flex-directn:row-reverse;flex-directn:row-reverse;-webk-align-ems:flex-end;-webk-box-align:flex-end;-ms-flex-align:flex-end;align-ems:flex-end;posn:relative;width:100%;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;width:100%;} {visibily:hidn;opacy:0;-webk-transn:visibily 0s .3s,opacy .3s lear;transn:visibily 0s .3s,opacy .3s lear;}</style><div class="align-center size-medium embed e1a0jkxd1 css-1e3dj7m ejku7p04"><div class="__rp-ntaer css-5mi43p e6l0f0"><img src=" alt="Image no longer available" tle="Image no longer available" width="100%" height="to" dg="async" fetchPrry="high" /></div></div><style data-emotn="css 1qqodx7">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;word-break:break-word;paddg:0rem;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} em{font-fay:CharterItalic,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;}</style><div size="medium" class="css-1qqodx7 e1a0jkxd2">Takg PrEP n crease the likelihood of acquirg HIV by 99%. But ers still n’t donate blood immediately.' </div></div><p data-no-id="22" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">In late December, the FDA announced is fundg a pilot study that may prove there’s a more logil way to move forward. Conducted tanm wh the natn’s largt blood centers—the Amerin Red Cross, Valant, and OneBlood—the rearch effort will survey 2,000 gay and bisexual men across the untry between the ag of 18 and 30 who have had sex wh at least one man the past three months. Men will answer qutns about their sexual risk. Then their blood will be drawn and tted for HIV as well as anti-retroviral dgs found PrEP. </p><p data-no-id="23" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Rults om this study are expected late 2021. But if the sexual-risk disclosur n vet ndidat as well as or better than the time-based ban, the FDA may e that rmatn to potentially change s donatn procr for MSM. “The FDA remas mted to nsirg alternativ to time-based ferral by generatg the scientific evince that is tend to support an dividual-risk-asssment-based blood-donor qutnnaire,” the agency nfirmed via email. </p><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="24" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="untri that have moved away om discrimatory time ferral bans have not seen an crease hiv posive blood" tle="untri that have moved away om discrimatory time ferral bans have not seen an crease hiv posive blood" loadg="lazy" width="2166" height="3045" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="25" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The FDA has not said when that policy change might take effect. The earlit might happen would be 2022, says Lightfoot. It might also take longer if the agency cis that addnal nfirmatnal studi are need. But there’s already plenty of precent that this ncept n work: If the ban were to be lifted, the Uned Stat would jo the ranks of untri cludg Italy, Brazil, the UK, Mexi, and Israel, all of whom have adopted a risk-based qutnnaire to screen blood donors stead of lg out all men who’ve had sex wh other men a set perd. </p><p data-no-id="26" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“The untri that have moved away om blanket, discrimatory time-ferral bans have not seen an crease [HIV-posive] blood,” Lasky says. “We already know that the three-month discrimatory ban do not align wh science, so why are we dog this study aga?”</p><p data-no-id="27" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The policy change uld have a signifint posive effect on the mental health of gay and bisexual men, too. While CDC data shows that straight men and women make up roughly 24 percent of new HIV s, Halkis says the MSM-specific ban creat “others” out of those exclud. “It mak them feel ls than,” he says. This sort of tegoril humanizatn n<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="lead to a slew of negative mental-health out" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">lead to a slew of negative mental-health out</a>, cludg prsn, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and tennci. It also puts gay and bisexual men at higher risk for acquirg HIV over time. </p><p data-no-id="28" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“Social and stctural factors that e gay men to feel othered e them to engage risky sexual behavr,” Halkis says. So a ban like this isn’t jt harmful to the Amerin public; “’s credibly harmful to the gay muny, both emotnally and physilly.”</p><p data-no-id="29" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Removg the ban would alleviate that stigma and create a new rource that uld help save the liv of lns of Amerins. To make that happen faster, Halkis remends makg your voice heard, no matter your sexual orientatn. “Like wh all social-jtice matters, is imperative that that alli of the LGBTQ+ populatns work to voice their ncerns about the ongog blood ban,” he says. </p><p data-no-id="30" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The first step is to sign GLAAD’s petn at <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0"></a>. You then n—and should—te those around you, “sce many people, cludg gay and bi men, don’t know that this ban exists,” adds Lasky. Lastly, “engage wh Congrs. Let them know you don’t support discrimatory practic that ban gay and bisexual men om dog their civic duty.”</p><p data-no-id="31" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Givg everyone an equal chance to help one another shouldn’t be a difficult cisn—pecially when uny and healg remas a val need. </p><style data-emotn="css 2ok9l4">{marg-top:1.875rem;borr-top:th solid #595959;}</style><div data-jam-id="thor-b" class="css-2ok9l4 e13rjwo40"></div><style data-emotn="css ciejky">{clear:both;marg-top:1.25rem;}</style><div id="journey-le" class="css-ciejky e1cslvxz0"></div><style data-emotn="css 79elbk">{posn:relative;}</style><div class="css-79elbk eg8z2o90"><div class="css-79elbk e1tp40ll1"><div data-anchor-id="P0-0" class="css-0 e1tp40ll0"></div></div><style data-emotn="css hi6ssp">{display:block;grid-area:article_body;grid-lumn:article_body-start/article_body-end;grid-row:to;jtify-self:center;marg:1.25rem 0 0;}@media prt{{display:none;}}@media(max-width: 30rem){{width:100%;}}@media(max-width: 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gay men active

The Nazi regime rried out a mpaign agast male homosexualy and persecuted gay men between 1933 and 1945.

Contents:

ACTIVE MATURE GAY MEN

The purpose of Active and Mature Gay Men is promote iendships, fellowship, and pannships, as well as providg activi and events which we n all enjoy and spend qualy time wh each other.&nbsp; Startg wh luncheons, I hope the membership will help me to expand the group gathergs * gay men active *

What we’re aboutThe purpose of Active and Mature Gay Men is promote iendships, fellowship, and pannships, as well as providg activi and events which we n all enjoy and spend qualy time wh each other. Startg wh luncheons, I hope the membership will help me to expand the group gathergs to clu special events that might be of tert to the group as a whole, or a signifint sub, Aug 9, 2023, 11:30 AM PDTRsvl Gay and Lbians ve you to Oak Leaf Wed.

There's a lot between the two extrem of makg love to the man of your life, and havg a rnchy, anonymo hookup a bathhoe.So here are 18 typ of sex all gay/bi men should experience (at least once) at some pot their liv! The are the voic explag what has been like to be a gay man1 the Amerin ary over the prev seventy or so years, om World War II veterans their late eighti to young servicemen on active duty. "I remember beg the Castro, " says John Forrett (army rerve, 1987–99), "and watchg the TV at a bar wh some iends, watchg Al Gore and Bill Clton swearg that if they beme the tag team for Ameri they were gog to get rid of the harassment of gays and lbians servg the ary.

" Gay people were allowed the ary but only as long as they didn’t reveal their sexualy; to facilate this, all members of the ary were also prohibed om quirg about anyone’s possible orientatn. Servicemen were advised that until then the policy would still apply, and that they uld potentially face s sanctns if they intify themselv publicly as gay.

TELL: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF GAY MEN THE MILARY

As "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to an end, we sent Chris Heath to terview dozens of gay servicemen om the past and prent to fd out what life was really like as Ameri's ary stggled wh s last great inty crisis * gay men active *

’ "Air Force #1: "Two of my iends were disvered, both officers—’s a long and arduo procs for an officer to get kicked out for beg gay. You’re a Mare, you don’t md gettg dirty, gog out to the field and not showerg for weeks at a, if you were gay, when you have to shower wh all the other guys you’d get all exced. I mean, if you want to hi, the Mare Corps is one of the bt plac to do that, bee nobody wants to adm they are standg next to a gay guy.

I had ma about halfway through and the recer was trated wh how long was takg me, and he said, ’Well, basilly, are you gay?

One Man’s Operatn Iraqi FreedomMany gay servicemen the morn era—cludg Eric Alva (Mar, 1991–2004)—have pleted long ary reers whout their sexualy ever beg revealed. And therefore few people realized that the first Amerin serly wound the vasn of Iraq durg the send Gulf war was a gay Alva signed up, before "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, " he had to lie on his paperwork. Lbians have suffered unr the same prohibns and prejudic and share many of the same experienc, as well as some that are distct, but this article ncentrat on the experience of gay men.

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

Jaguars assistant Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach major Amerin men's pro sports to publicly e out as gay, tellg he ma the cisn bee he didn't want to hi who he is any longer. * gay men active *

And when, 2006, the battl over "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" the ary and gay marriage the wir muny were simmerg, Alva’s boyiend at the time poted out to him that he did have some notoriety that might be of e. (The meetgs have been arranged through a private onle work lled OutServe, set up only last year, which allows gay and lbian servicepeople a safe and secure way of fdg and munitg wh one another.

To be the ary and still try to live any kd of life as a gay man, ’s not Force #4 (senr airman, four years): "Right now our relatnships don’t exist.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach a US men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. * gay men active *

In the shadow of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, " whenever gay servicemen did face any kd of homophobic harassment, they were powerls to draw attentn to whout potentially triggerg the end of their ary reer. The le self beme the very tool of their opprsn: "The ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, " says Joseph Rocha (navy, 2004–7), "punish homosexuals who ply, and protects bigots. But when you get ught up the ltle groups of boys, the first exce for anythg that don’t f wh them is that you’re gay.

WHO ARE GAYS - 10 MYTHS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY

Gay and bisexual men are more severely affected by HIV than any other group the Uned Stat (US). * gay men active *

Of a number of latg events—Rocha was also force-fed dog food and locked to a sh-filled dog kennel—the most abive and explicly homophobic was when he was orred by his manr to act a dog-trag scenar, repeated over and over so that every dog the un uld be n through . Lovg so much that each scenar was gayer and more disgtg—the troductn of fake semen, that I would have to wipe my face, or that I would have to make slurpg nois.

HIV AND ALL GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

Gay and bisexual men face a time-based ban on givg blood. But fairer practic uld help save over a ln people a year whout the risk of spreadg HIV. * gay men active *

Anyone who gets off thkg that ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ unr the Bh admistratn anyone uld have gone and said, ’Hey, I’m beg antagonized unr the prciple that I might be gay’ and feel safe is absurd. You would have to have no gay iends, no iends that knew you were gay, no iends who unrstood what was like to be you. Life Seventy Years Ago as a Gay Serviceman: World War IIIt was only really around the Send World War that ary discrimatn beme dified and anized, and that the foc moved om simply sanctns agast homosexual acts to an attempt to intify and weed out homosexual tennci—though, as would be seen aga and aga, when fightg bodi were need badly enough, such ncerns would often evaporate.

"JM: "I found out right after the war that if someone were discharged as homosexual, a notice of that fact was sent home to their lol draft board, so that their whole muny would e to know that they were gay. And this led directly to the formatn of gay ghettos the major ci, where people who uldn’t go home, bee their sexualy had been revealed by the army, had to move to Greenwich Village or the San Francis Castro. Manzella operated fully wh the vtigatn; when he was asked for evince that he wasn’t jt claimg to be gay orr to trigger a discharge, he even supplied photos, and footage of him and his boyiend passnately kissg on a road trip.

A month later he was lled to see his battaln manr and told that the vtigatn had been closed: "His words were ’We found no proof of homosexualy. "While he was ployed, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a mpaigng group who had been givg him guidance, told him that 60 Mut wanted to do a piece about an openly gay man servg a bat zone, persuadg him that would give a voice to the "65, 000 men and women the ary" who weren’t able to live as openly as he was. I was nfed until beme clear that, partly by chance and partly by a cha of personal remendatns over the years, this trailer park had bee some kd of gay-veteran hot spot: There are eight or ten others livg here, and more nearby.

LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS

HE Travel merg Hanns Ebensten Travel and Alyson Adventur. Exclive gay travel tours & vatns for sgle gay men, gay upl, lbians & iends. * gay men active *

He says that he didn’t seek promotn past a certa pot bee would have required an vtigatn to get him clearance, and he was ncerned they would disver his subscriptns to gay magaz. ’ " They claimed that he had been named as a homosexual and prsured him to nfirm the tails, showg him photos of other men who were implited.

HE TRAVEL – GAY TRAVEL TOURS, GAY ADVENTURE TRAVEL, ACTIVE VATNS

Jo a group of Gay Men on a Gay Travel Adventure. Our Active Gay Holidays feature some of the bt hik and expedns out there! * gay men active *

One Man’s Vietnam"Back the ’50s Oregon, " rells Tom Norton (Army, 1968-71), "they were still puttg people jail for homosexual activy, and that certaly sends a strong msage to a young kid. I went to Vietnam wh post-trmatic strs disorr, which I had had om the age of 5 when I learned the word homosexual and knew that’s what I was. "Norton wasn’t sexually active Vietnam—"I would numb myself and avoid anythg sexual"—and was only years later that he realized that some of the men his social circle there were gay.

He stggled so much wh growg up gay Vietnam and beg ostracized for his sexualy, jt wantg to be loved and red for wh the war gog on around him. "Air Force #2: "There’s one good iend that I thought about tellg, but always right when I thk, ’Okay, ’s ol to tell him, ’ he’ll say somethg that is kd of weird about gay people.

ACTIVE GAY TOURS

* gay men active *

The senator I worked for and the ngrsman I worked for knew I was gay—they were both nservative Republins—and they wrote a letter of remendatn to get me to the Mare Corps. "Navy #3 (manr, rerv, twenty years): "A pal of me on a rrier went to the CO and said, ’What is your policy on gays?

’ The CO looked at my iend and said, ’If somebody wants to get off my ship for beg gay, they have to e to me wh two Polaroids, both of them they have to be clearly suckg ck, and I want to be able to see their face. One Man’s Secret Too ManyIt’s temptg to see gay servicemen’s entire ary existence through the prism of this sgle issue—the mpaigner, the opprsed, the stoic endurer—and as the totaly of who they are.

In June 1998, Richard Merrt (Mar, 1985–98) appeared on the ver of The New York Tim Magaze, uniform but wh his face obscured, and si the story scribed what life was actually like for someone gay servg the ary.

GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN'S HEALTH

" In her story he me across as, he says, "a very nservative type of gay, " but when he started lettg people know that s subject was him, he mt have known the clock was tickg. "I had taken some time off om my battaln and was stg at home jt flippg through the San Diego Gay and Lbian Tim, and there was an ad for ’male mols wanted. ’" The way he sometim jtified to himself what he did was that was a rponse to the ary’s homophobia, albe an extreme one: "I would feel very angry at the policy, and beme ’Well, fuck you, Mare Corps—I’m gog to do this and be as gay as I want to be for the world to see.

GAY MEN UNR THE NAZI REGIME

"Navy #3: "Nobody joed up to be ’the un gay guy, ’ but that’s who you’re gog to be, and I thk ’s cumbent on who are senr to basilly intify ourselv so that younger kids n look and say, ’Hey, is okay. It’s the exact same thg, everyone buildg up this giant crazy massive change, like homosexuals are gog to brg down the entire ary. Some likely post-repeal plitns: ristant pockets of homophobia the ary; the ntued right to voice certa homophobic sentiments unr, for stance, the eedom of relig exprsn; possible aternizatn charg if gay servicemen of different ranks ntue to associate wh each other as they often did the silent years; growg disquiet at the absence of partner rights equivalent to those for servicemen’s wiv.

-- Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach major Amerin men's profsnal sports to publicly e out as gay, tellg he ma the cisn bee he didn't want to hi who he is any longer and to possibly spire others siar 's a cisn and move that drew praise and support om owner Shad Khan, who was a vol and emphatic supporter of a cy ordance that expand protectns on the grounds of sexual orientatn, genr inty and genr exprsn.

Outsi lebacker Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay and to play a game Associated Prs ntributed to this report. Per Outsports, as of September 2022, there have only ever been 16 players NFL history to publicly e out as gay or bisexual. Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league.

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