News Round-Up: January 9, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• I'm not sure if I should caption this photo (above) from InstaHunk Joel Green in Bali "Strike a pose" (Joel) or "What are you looking at?"(his scene partner).

• Just as Colorado has sworn in Jared Polis as the first openly gay governor of a state, the Denver city council voted unanimously on Monday to ban so-called 'conversion therapy' for minors.

• Actor Timothée Chalamet has added to his growing reputation as an LGBTQ fan favorite by giving $1,000 to New York’s LGBT Community Center live on the Golden Globes red carpet.

• Thanks to the Trump shutdown, the FDA has stopped most food safety inspections. Feel safer?

• The Coast Guard Support Program has issued a five-page tip sheet on how to financially cope with a long U.S. government shutdown. The suggestions include: consider holding a garage sale, babysitting, dog-walking or serving as a “mystery shopper.”

• North Carolina just lost more revenue thanks to its anti-LGBTQ laws. Netflix has nixed the idea of shooting a new series, titled OBX, in the state. The production is expected to spend $60 million in whatever state Netflix eventually chooses.

• It may be hump day, but chill a bit with the latest single from VanJess, "Another Lover."

I like the ebb and flow of the song, as well as the video's visual change-ups from choreography to minimalist trance vibe.

FDA To Adjust Blood Donation Policy For Gay/Bisexual Men

According to the Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to change it's decades-old policy for banning blood donations from gay or bisexual men.

The new policy will allow gay/bisexual men to donate as long as they haven't had sex with a man in the past 365 days. This would be more in line with other countries like the United Kingdom and Australia.

Activists say the change is definitely a step in the right direction, but still falls short.


From the Human Rights Campaign:

"This new policy prevents men from donating life-saving blood based solely on their sexual orientation rather than actual risk to the blood supply," said David Stacy, HRC's Government Affairs Director.

"While it's a step in the right direction toward an ideal policy that reflects the best scientific research, it still falls far short of a fully acceptable solution because it continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men. It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology.

"We are committed to working towards an eventual outcome that both minimizes risk to the blood supply and treats gay and bisexual men with the respect they deserve.”

FDA Approves First Ever "Female Libido" Drug

FDA votes to approve female libido drug, 1st drug of its kind targeting the female sex drive: http://t.co/V8Btnvnj9O pic.twitter.com/seRypRI4RE

— ABC News (@ABC) August 19, 2015

Parody: "Sad Studs"

Believe it or not, this PSA (a parody of the "Bad Blood" video) is about the FDA'a ban on gay men donating blood if they have had sex in the past year.

I paid attention, did you?

Happy Friday!

FDA Set To Recommend Adjusting Ban On Blood Donations By Gay Men

Since 1985, in response to the AIDS epidemic, gay men who have had sex with other men even once have been banned from donating blood.

Now, the FDA is set to recommend adjusting the ban to allow those who have not had sex with other men in the past year to donate blood.

It's notable, however, that many gay men would not be able to donate blood. Someone in a sexually active monogamous gay couple would still be barred from donating.

As The New York Times has noted, "Restrictions on donors were written when H.I.V. testing was slower and less refined. Today, some tests can detect the virus in blood as little as nine days after infection."

For years, gay rights advocates have blasted the rule as discriminatory and pushed for a change.

The FDA's newly proposed policy -- which has been expected since December -- would mirror the policy approach in several other countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Hungary, Japan, Sweden and United Kingdom.

The American Medical Association and the Red Cross both support lifting the bans entirely.

Considering the advanced screening technology developed in the 1980s and 90s that keeps our blood supply safe today, the antiquated policy of banning gay men who could donate life-saving blood doesn't seem to make sense at all to me.

More at the Huffington Post.