Petition to the Government of Canada
  Whereas:
  
    Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec will not accept blood and plasma donations from gay men, men who have sex with men, and trans women if they have had a male sexual partner within three months;
    Canada’s blood supply is suffering from shortages during the COVID-19 crisis and there is an urgency of obtaining plasma donations for research into the prevention and treatment of COVID-19;
    Behaviour-based screening provides better security for the blood supply than identity-based rules, and there is no science behind the current 3-month deferral;
    In Canada, every blood donation is tested for several infectious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C; and
    More than 17 nations have no deferral period, including Italy, Spain and Argentina.
  
  
    We, the undersigned, concerned citizens, call upon the Government of Canada to 1. Act now to immediately eliminate the 3-month deferral for blood and plasma donations from men who have sex with men, gay men, and trans women, and
    
    2. Support member of Parliament Randall Garrison’s motion, M-41, tabled in the House of Commons on June 8, 2020.