Rep. Jones says he was denied donating blood because he’s gay
Florida Rep. Shevrin Jones, who survived COVID-19, said he was turned away from donating plasma at a blood bank on Friday because he is gay.
Jones, the first openly gay and LGBTQ Black person elected to the Florida Legislature, said he decided to donate his antibody-rich plasma after his own battle with the coronavirus. His desire to do so was amplified after learning his fifthgrade teacher was on a ventilator because of the disease.
“It stings,” Jones said. “It stings pretty bad.”
As a means to try stopping the transmission of HIV starting in 1985, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recommendation that men who had sex with other men dating as far back as 1977 should not be permitted to donate blood or plasma. In 2015, the language was changed, allowing gay men to donate if they have abstained from sex with other men for one year. In early April, because of the nation’s dire need for blood and plasma due to the coronavirus pandemic, the rules were further relaxed to a three-month abstinence period.
Jones and
his
brother
Derrick went to One Blood’s mobile blood donation bus that was parked near their father’s church in Pembroke Park. Shevrin Jones said his blood pressure was taken and his iron level was tested.
When everything checked out OK, Jones said he was handed a tablet with 40 questions to answer. It was somewhere midway through that Jones came across the first question regarding his sexuality. Then again at the very end was another question regarding sex.
A worker, he said, went over his answers with him and when they got to the end, he said he was told he was being deferred for three months, with no mention of an abstinence requirement. A call to One Blood on Friday night was answered by voicemail.
Jones said he last gave blood about three years ago and said he doesn’t recall any questions about his sexuality at the time. He said he was aware of the dire need and heard that the restrictions changed, so he figured he was good to go Friday.
‘You think about the time we are in. We are in a real critical time,” Jones said. “It’s 2020 and we are still following these antiquated rules that members of the LGBTQ Plus community cannot participate in the donation of blood or plasma —in this case rich in antibodies — to save a person’s life.”
Jones first became ill on June 26. Five days later, he learned he had COVID-19. The next two weeks he was all over the place — like a yo-yo, he said. Some days he’d feel fine and other days were just awful, he said.
He said at times his body temperature was 103 and he had trouble breathing. Twice he went to the emergency room. But, Jones soldiered through the misery.
After learning about his teacher, his immediate thought was to help her. He’s healthy now, he’s in good shape and works out, his blood work has come back negative for the disease, he said.
“And lo and behold, it’s not possible to help,” he said.