Have you been deterred from donating blood or plasma based on discriminatory policies? Contact us to learn more about your legal rights.
Keller Rohrback and co-counsel at Shenoa Payne Attorney at Law PC and Beacon Employment Law in conjunction with the ACLU of Oregon, have filed a lawsuit on behalf of an openly gay man who alleges he was prohibited from making a donation at a Eugene Blood Plasma donation facility, the Grifols Talecris Plasma Donation Center, because of his sexuality.
The plaintiff in the suit alleges that the donation center has made an “blanket ban,” in discriminating against gay and bisexual men, contrary to the recommendations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This kind of treatment “is perpetuating outdated stereotypes and false stigmas that dehumanize the LGBTQ+ community.” said attorney Shenoa Payne.
The FDA had recently updated its recommendations for assessing eligibility of blood and plasma donors. These new recommendations rely on individualized risk assessments rather than express discriminatory rules, which either outright banned donations or created unnecessary waiting periods expressly based on one's status as a gay or bisexual man.
Despite those changes, some blood banks, and other blood or plasma donation organizations, like Grifols Talecris, continue to deny gay and bisexual men the right to dignity and charity by enforcing outdated and discriminatory gay blood bans.
If you or someone you know are in the state of Oregon and were denied the right to help save lives by donating blood or plasma due to gender identity, gender, sex, and/or sexual orientation, we want to hear from you.
Call us for a free, no obligation consultation at (800) 231-1089 or email us at [email protected].
You can read more about this developing story at the links below:
Oregonlive.com: Oregon man, ACLU sue plasma-donation center for alleged ‘forever ban’ on gay men donors
Koin.com: Lawsuit claims Eugene plasma donation center banned gay man for sexual history
Portland Mercury: Attorneys Claim Plasma Donation Centers Illegally Discriminate Against Gay and Bisexual Men
CONTACT US: