As part of the national “Summer of Giving,” North Carolina Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Kody H. Kinsley is donating blood on July 10, at The Blood Connection in Raleigh. The Blood Connection, in partnership with GLAAD, has joined the national “Summer of Giving” blood drive campaign.
The summer initiative encourages businesses to host blood drives and all eligible individuals to donate blood in support of recent FDA eligibility changes that promote fairness and inclusivity in the donation process while maintaining the safety of the blood supply.
“The ‘Summer of Giving’ is a celebration of the LGBTQ community and decades of work to remove the stigma too many potential donors have endured,” said GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis. “Removing discriminatory barriers and following facts and science will ease the critical national blood shortage. LGBTQ donors should be treated the same as any other donor when they walk into their local blood donation center. This campaign sends a long-needed message that LGBTQ people are welcome and can generously contribute to their communities to help save lives.”
This is the first full summer season since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded eligibility recommendations to accept donations using gender-inclusive, individual risk-based questions. This expanded donation eligibility included many in the LGBTQ+ community.
Kinsley was appointed to his position in 2021 by Gov. Roy Cooper and was unanimously appointed by the N.C. Senate. His appointment was historic because he became the first openly gay cabinet member for the state.
Prior to his appointment, Kinsley served as the presidentially appointed Assistant Secretary for Management for the United States Department of the Treasury under two Administrations under the Obama Administration.
“When I came out as a gay man, I quickly became excluded from that process for really no good reason,” Kinsley told reporters before donating blood during a blood drive last year. “There was no explanation other than discrimination, and that weight of discrimination is disempowering. It’s frustrating. It pushes people apart. It also telegraphs to people in the community that gay and bisexual men are different and risky inherently in who they are.
“And that’s just inaccurate.”
The Blood Connection is the blood provider for more than 50 North Carolina hospitals and requires about 1,000 units per day to meet these providers’ needs. However, blood centers typically see a decline in donations over the summer months due to travel and busy schedules.
Those who wish to donate can schedule an appointment on The Blood Connection’s website at https://thebloodconnection.org/contact/north-carolina-centers/raleigh-center.