Social Media Giant Twitter Supports LGBT Rights

The social media giant, Twitter has created an immense shift in social campaigning by announcing they have banned onsite blood drives in their worldwide offices where regulations ban gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

A first for public technology companies, as noted by LGBT-rights advocates.

Technology organisations have the ability to shift public perceptions

After one of their U.S. employees, a gay man, was turned away from donating blood at their company’s HQ, the San Fransisco-based company made the decision to ban all employees from using their onsite blood drive initiative.

This move has been picked up by many LGBT-advocates as a shift in the right direction, emphasising the klout that large-name tech companies have when tackling public issues.

Blood donations from gay men have been barred since the discovery that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be transmitted through transfusions. A policy introduced by the FDA over three decades ago in 1983.

Whilst only announcing their news to the public this week, Twitter made the decision in April.

“We made the choice to take a company stand against some of our employees being turned away from donating blood and will channel our efforts into education about this issue until this unnecessary and discriminatory policy is changed,” said Brian Schipper, Twitter’s vice president of human resources and executive sponsor of TwitterOpen, the company’s LGBT group for employees.

The social giant was recently rated as one of the best workplaces for LGBT employees, however, has taken criticism for its lack of racial diversity.

In a bid to advocate for social change, Twitter is now campaigning to change currently blood donation regulations. In a statement, they highlighted that all donated blood in routinely screened, and HIV dedication and screening techniques have improved vastly since the ban came into force 32 years ago.

In a letter to the FDA, Colin Crowell, Twitter’s vice president of global policy, wrote: “We strongly urge the FDA to reconsider this draft rule, remove the restrictions on donations from MSM, and redraft safety regulations that are based on legitimate behavioural risk factors. [The policy] has forced us to reevaluate our values as a company and choose between continuing an important and valuable public service or cancelling future blood drives at Twitter because it fosters an environment in the workplace that makes assumptions about, and diminishes the dignity of MSMs.”

Twitter Open is encouraging everyone to support their stance to sign a GLAAD petition calling for the FDA to treat all donors equally and with respect.

This shift shows the value that a large organisation can bring when campaigning for charitable or social issues. By using their widespread audience reach, and sticking with a strong social commitment, organisations have the ability to shift public and institutional perceptions.

Written by Georgina Dunn

Originally published at www.nucreative.co.uk on November 26, 2015.