Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said the announcement was a “magnificent day” and another step forward for LGBTQ rights. He said his government invested $5 million dollars in research into the safety aspects of changing the blood donation rules and multiple scientific reports showed “our blood supply will continue to be safe.” Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Trudeau said the ban should have ended 10 to 15 years ago, but research proving it would not affect the safety of the blood supply had not been done by previous governments.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said ending the discriminatory ban was “good news for all Canadians” but had taken too long. An end to the ban on gay men donating blood has been approved by Health Canada and could be brought in by September.
