Canadian Blood Services Criticised For Blood Donation Ad On Grindr

Canadian Blood Services has been criticised for placing a national blood donation ad on Grindr.

The advert, which reads: “Get the GiveBlood app and put the power to give life in the palm of your hand,” was placed on gay hookup app Grindr to promote blood donations in Canada.

And the placement of the ad on Grindr has caused controversy because gay men are not allowed to donate blood in Canada unless they’ve had a year of abstinence.

This rule was shortened from five years earlier this year, with the change taking effect on August 15th.

In the US, reports suggested that the FDA is considering overhauling its own one year waiting period.

Speaking about the advert, Winnipeg human rights lawyer Corey Sherman told CBC: “I think that Canadian Blood Services’ decision to take out advertising in an app that’s used almost entirely by gay men, who are prohibited from donating blood, is at best insensitive and at worst just another example of Canadian Blood Services’ discriminatory treatment of gay men.”

In response, Canadian Blood Services has said the placement of the ad was a mistake, blaming its advertising vendor for putting the ad on Grindr, but not naming the company.

Spokesperson Ross Fitzgerald said: “We apologize to anyone who may have been offended or hurt by the placement of this ad.

“The ad was placed in error as part of a broader digital campaign. We took immediate steps to remove the ad as soon as we were made aware of it. We are taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.”

Last week, Grindr launched its first men’s fashion range, the proceeds of which will go to Athlete Ally’s Principle 6 campaign, which seeks to end homophobia and transphobia in the sporting community.

Read more about it here.