In the wake of the anti-LBGTQ shooting in Orlando, you probably heard about how the gay and bisexual men who wanted to donate blood to help the victims were prevented from doing so. More specifically, they are blocked from donating blood unless they have been abstinent for a full year. This feels a lot like the extremist Christian notion of “practicing homosexuals” and “ex-Gays”. You’re allowed to donate blood as long as you’re celibate, otherwise you’re unclean.

This kind of bigotry in medicine is not limited to the United States, unfortunately, and it’s not limited to prejudice against homosexual men, either. Canadian Blood Services has apparently not only decided to discriminate against trans women, they’ve also decided that they get to decide who “counts” as a woman. Shiv put in a lot of work to tell us about this policy, why it’s bullshit, and what can be done about it, so please head over to Against the Grain for that – this is important stuff.