Heartstopper's Joe Locke Blasts Restrictions on Gay Men Donating Blood
The Heartstopper cast continues to win fans over and use their platforms for good.Joe Locke, who plays Charlie Spring on the hit Netflix series, called out the discriminatory policies in place against queer men who want to donate blood while speaking at Isle of Man Pride over the weekend.“The island has come so far in the last 30 years, legalizing same-sex marriage in 2016, and in 2021, banning conversion therapy for all LGBT people — something the UK government has failed and is failing to do,” he said in a pre-recorded video. “But there is still work to be done.
The Isle of Man, to this day, does not allow gay men to donate blood, an archaic rule that was placed into force during the height of the AIDS pandemic.
These rules have slowly changed in the UK since then, allowing gay men to donate blood under certain rules. But not on the island.” Most of the UK shifted to a new policy regarding gay and bisexual men and blood donation last summer.
The previous policy, which had only been in place since 2017, allowed for blood donation from men who had abstained from sexual contact with other men for three months.
