Kieran McCarthy MLA said: “I am very disappointed that the Health Minister is refusing to allow gay men to donate blood. He needs to realise that it is unacceptable to discriminate like this. It is shocking that a Minister in our Executive is sending out this message. Do we really want Northern Ireland to be portrayed like this.
“We should be encouraging people to donate blood, not telling perfectly eligible people that they are banned from donating blood.
“This is about equality, by banning gay men from donating blood, Edwin Poots is denying them their human rights. I would ask him to reconsider his decision on this issue.”
ENDS