GMHC CEO Donates Blood to Protest FDA Ban; Used to Create 'Blood Mirror'

In 1983, in an early response to the AIDS crisis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented a lifetime ban on gay and bisexual male blood donors. Over 30 years later, on May 13, 2015, the FDA proposed an updated policy that would finally allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood, but only if they are celibate for a full year.

There is no celibacy requirement for heterosexuals, regardless of their risk for contracting HIV. The proposed new FDA policy is currently open for public comment for 60 days, ending on July 14. A UCLA Williams Institute study found that lifting the ban completely could save up to a million lives annually.

"This is both a science issue as well as an equality issue. We have the technology to identify HIV within a blood supply within 9 days. One of the drivers of HIV is stigma. It's dangerous to public health," said GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie.

In 2015, artist Jordan Eagles enlisted a group of nine extraordinary gay men, each with a unique life story, to donate their blood in protest of the FDA's ban and for the creation of a sculpture, Blood Mirror. Leo Herrera, activist and filmmaker, documented the process in an original, political art film, which is being released in advance of World Blood Donor Day (June 14), in honor of LGBT Pride month, and within the public comment period for the FDA's proposed, updated policy.

"I wanted to create a sculpture that would becomes a time capsule, documenting this moment in time, while showing that this blood could have been used to save lives," said Eagles. "This discriminatory policy is part of our gay history and part of our nation's history, and the sculpture asks us to reflect on discrimination in our country, as well as the homophobia that exists around the world. For me, the sculpture is a work in progress. It will never be finished until the FDA's blood donation policy is fair for all people."

Eagles and filmmaker Leo Herrera released the sculpture and short film in protest of the FDA ban on gay and bisexual male blood donors. The sculpture, titled Blood Mirror, was created using the blood donated by nine gay men (details below), including the CEO of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) Kelsey Louie, GMHC co-founder Dr. Larry Mass, and Oliver Anene, who works at GMHC's HIV testing center. The men are also featured in a short film by Herrera that documents the behind-the-scenes process of donating their blood and making the sculpture.

Herrera documented the blood donation process and interviews with the nine donors. His political documentary shows the behind-the-scenes artistic process of Eagles creating the sculpture, and it serves as a "public comment" for each of the nine brave donors. Filming, research, and the making of the works took the creative duo from a doctor's office in Columbus Circle, to an art studio in Bushwick, to the labs of Rockefeller University, to an FDA hearing on the gay blood ban in Washington, D.C.

Two years in the making, this collaborative project spans several mediums and included the volunteer work of over thirty men, as well as the nine blood donors. The Carry Nation (Will Automagic and Nita Aviance), one of New York City's most prolific DJ teams,produced the video's original musical score.

"Blood Mirror is about how gay and bisexual men overcome stigma through gathering and art," said Herrera."It represents homophobia so deep that it infected science itself and spawned a fear of our most precious fluids. For gay and bisexual men to be healthy of mind and body, it is crucial we see each other reflected in our brothers so we can overcome the anxieties specific to our people. The Blood Mirror is a relic and a symbol for the love of culture and community."

In conjunction with the launch of Blood Mirror, GMHC is urging the public to contact the FDA through July 14 to oppose its proposed policy requiring gay and bisexual men to be celibate for one year in order to be eligible to donate blood.

To leave a public comment on the FDA's proposed policy requiring gay and bisexual men to be celibate for one year in order to be eligible to donate blood, click here.