In the aftermath, demand for blood donations soared as dozens of gravely wounded clubgoers filled hospital beds, but Restrepo was unable to contribute. Restrepo, who has been with his husband for five years, says the conundrum reminds him of the days after the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.
over the past three decades: He's gay.ĭespite newly revised federal guidelines easing restrictions for gay and bisexual men, donation sites across the nation, including at least a dozen in South Florida, have yet to adopt and implement the measures - a drawn-out process that officials say could take the rest of the year. But the 25-year-old Florida International University student can't donate blood for the same reason millions of other men have been unable to give blood in the U.S. Once again, Kevin Restrepo feels powerless.Īs the demand for blood and plasma soars in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Restrepo's universally accepted O-negative blood could help someone in dire medical straits.
