Donate With Pride Blood Drive
Donate With Pride: A Celebration of Advocacy, Awareness, and the Power to Save Lives
Last weekend, our community once again came together for the Donate With Pride Blood Drive — and what an incredible reminder of the power of visibility, advocacy, and compassion.
To everyone who donated, volunteered, partnered, shared our message, or simply showed up to support this effort: thank you.
Every pint collected represents more than a lifesaving donation. It represents progress.
For decades, gay and bisexual men — broadly categorized under outdated FDA policies regarding men who have sex with men (MSM) — were prohibited from donating blood. These restrictions originated during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s, when testing methods and scientific understanding were far more limited than they are today. What began as a lifetime ban eventually shifted to lengthy deferral periods, but the result remained the same for many people in the LGBTQ+ community: exclusion from the opportunity to help save lives through blood donation.
In 2023, the FDA enacted sweeping changes to blood donation eligibility policies, moving away from blanket restrictions based on sexual orientation and toward an individualized risk assessment model. The change was historic. It acknowledged what advocates, researchers, healthcare professionals, and LGBTQ+ leaders had been saying for years: blood donation policies should be grounded in modern science and equitable screening practices.
That progress did not happen overnight.
And much of the work that helped drive national attention to this issue began right here in Central Florida.
At the University of Central Florida, student advocate Blake Lynch founded Banned4Life, an initiative that grew into a national movement challenging discriminatory blood donation policies and educating communities across the country about the issue. What started on a college campus became a powerful voice amplifying awareness and advocacy.
During my years managing UCF Blood Drives, we saw firsthand how deeply this issue affected people in our community. We hosted multiple educational panels and conversations focused on the blood ban, creating space for dialogue, education, and advocacy. Students, healthcare leaders, donors, and LGBTQ+ advocates came together to discuss the real human impact of exclusionary policies and the importance of reform.
Then came the Pulse tragedy.
Like so many in Orlando, i remember the overwhelming grief our community experienced in the aftermath of the shooting at Pulse Nightclub. In those heartbreaking days, blood drives became one of the most immediate ways people sought to support victims and their families. The community showed up with compassion and urgency.
But alongside those moments of generosity were painful stories from individuals who desperately wanted to help — and were turned away.
People who were ready to give blood for their community were told they could not.
Those experiences left a lasting impression on many of us and intensified the call for change.
At the same time, local leaders were helping move the conversation forward nationally. George Wallace at The LGBT Center Orlando worked alongside our local OneBlood team to help coordinate and support important national connections and research efforts that contributed to the evolving scientific foundation behind the FDA’s updated guidance.
The Donate With Pride Blood Drive exists in honor of this history.
Donate With Pride is a partnership event of The Pride Chamber, The Center, and OneBlood. It celebrates both the lives saved through blood donation and the advocates – right here in our community – who helped open the door for more people to participate in that lifesaving mission.
This event is also about awareness. Despite the policy changes, many people still do not realize they may now be eligible to donate blood. Others still carry memories of exclusion and rejection not only in blood donation but in all healthcare venues. We want our community to know: you may have the power to save lives through blood donation today.
That matters.
Representation matters. Visibility matters. And creating opportunities for people to participate fully in acts of service and compassion matters.
It was an honor to be part of the 3rd Annual Donate With Pride Blood Drive team this past Saturday. A heart-felt thank you to every donor who rolled up a sleeve, every volunteer who gave their time, every partner organization who helped spread the word, and every advocate who spent years fighting for change: thank you for helping move this story forward.
The work continues. The awareness continues. And the lifesaving continues.
We look forward to seeing even more of our community join us for Donate With Pride 2027.
If you’re interested in being part of the planning committee for next year’s event, contact RED@thepridechamber.org or call/text me at 407-608-9242.
How do we change the world?
Together.
