GLAAD will raise awareness of the need for blood donations in the coming months through the “Summer of Giving” campaign. The GLAAD Summer of Giving initiative will also promote the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) shift to individual donor assessments.
GLAAD, the largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization worldwide, plans to announce the “Summer of Giving” national blood drive campaign in mid-May. Th GLAAD Summer of Giving campaign will take place from May 28th through September 4th (National Blood Donation Day). As part of the campaign, GLAAD will also encourage businesses to host blood drives and urge members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to donate blood.
ABC will support the GLAAD Summer of Giving initiative by providing resources that can be used both during and after the campaign to build long-term relationships with the LGBTQ+ community, including a customizable public service announcement, digital videos, a campaign one-pager, and an FAQ document for prospective donors.
Additionally, as part of the GLAAD Summer of Giving campaign, the organization will urge its corporate partners to host blood drives with community blood centers. Such partners include Netflix, Procter & Gamble, The Walt Disney Company, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and more. The campaign branded materials are anticipated to be released the week of May 13th. ABC will provide campaign resources to interested members while promoting collaborations with leading companies across the country.
As previously mentioned, the GLAAD Summer of Giving campaign will also raise awareness of the FDA’s shift to individual donor assessments which is, “based on the best available scientific evidence and is in line with policies in place in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada. It will potentially expand the number of people eligible to donate blood, while also maintaining the appropriate safeguards to protect the safety of the blood supply.” The FDA policy removes, time-based deferrals and screening questions specific to sexually active gay and bisexual men.” The agency guidance ensures that, “all prospective blood donors will answer a series of individual, risk-based questions to determine eligibility.”