After years of advocacy, 6abc's Adam Joseph donates blood for first time

DEVON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A recent change to the FDA's policy on blood donors means more people in the LGBTQIA+ community are eligible to donate blood.

That includes 6abc's Adam Joseph, who hasn't just been waiting for a chance to give blood; he's been fighting for others to be able to do the same.

"(I) never thought it would come to the point where I could actually lay here," said Joseph on Monday morning as he lay on one of the tables that the American Red Cross sets up for blood donors.

Joseph participated in a Red Cross blood drive at Saint Luke Lutheran Church in Devon, Pennsylvania. For him, it was a surreal moment for the simple act of giving blood.

"To have this day here now," he said. "It's incredible."

It was incredible because no matter how much Joseph wanted to give blood, he wasn't able to.

"My entire adult life I've been denied from giving blood," said Joseph.

For more than 40 years, the FDA enacted restrictions that critics say discriminated against gay and bisexual men.

Originally that group was banned from giving blood, as the FDA cited concerns during the HIV epidemic of the 1980s.

In 2015, gay and bisexual men were allowed to give blood only if they were abstinent for 12 months. By 2020, as the need for blood grew during the pandemic, gay and bisexual men were allowed to give blood if they'd been abstinent for at least three months.

That policy even applied to people in monogamous relationships like Joseph.

"You're telling me I have someone who I love and am with every single day of my life that I can't be intimate with them for three months, just to give blood for one day," he said.

So the family man used his platform as a weatherman to speak out. Joseph posted about the issue on social media and participated in advocacy and interviews on the subject.

"Most people had no idea that there was a ban in place," he said of the reaction.

In May of this year, backed by scientific studies on safety, the FDA updated the restrictions, making gay and bisexual men eligible to give blood without having to have been abstinent for an extended period.

The American Red Cross will now use a series of individual risk-based questions that are the same for every donor. Depending on their answers, some people may still not be eligible to give, but it won't be based on their sexual orientation.

The FDA and the American Red Cross both express confidence that the updated policy is not only safe but fair for all.

"I don't know if my voice did it, but if it did, fantastic," said Joseph of the updated FDA policy.

The American Red Cross was among the groups advocating for a change to the policy.

They were watching closely when the policy was updated in May.

"We've been working diligently to update our systems," said Stefanie Arcangelo, Interim Regional Executive of the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Monday was the first day that the American Red Cross accepted blood donations without those previous restrictions.

"We're really excited to welcome those donors who will be newly eligible today," said Archangelo adding that Joseph is likely sealing a place in history with his donation. "This is a good possibility this morning that Adam is absolutely one of the first blood donors with this updated eligibility criteria who have been able to donate today."

But for Joseph, it wasn't about making history. It was about making a difference with his blood donations that took less than five minutes.

"You're doing something remarkable for another human being," he said.

After waiting for years, Joseph said his first donation definitely won't be his last.