Removing the gbMSM Demographic From Blood Donation Screening: Analysing News Coverage on Canada's Shift to Individualised Sexual Behaviour Screening


Mathew Graham, University of British Columbia

In 2021, Canada amended its blood donation laws to screen every potential donor’s sexual history rather than screen only gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (gbMSM). While scholars and LGBTQ+ community members have called on the Canadian and international governments to adjust this blood law for years, a research gap persists regarding how the general Canadian public and media view this policy change. Thus, this paper aims to fill this research gap by determining how Canadian newspapers portray the policy change leading up to, as well as following the amendment. Additionally, this paper uses post-gay theory to investigate the level of gay acceptance in Canadian society compared to past studies. Concerns for the theory’s validity have been questioned in recent years due to its historic perpetuation of homonormativity and/or limited view of queer identity and diversity. This study ensures that non-homonormative measures are incorporated. The data is based on an analysis of Canadian newspapers (n=109) consisting of national, provincial, and local newspapers, and omitting non-Canadian reports on the matter. Each article is qualitatively coded using a two-stage system: the first stage is reading 30% of the articles to develop common themes and a coding sheet, and the second stage using the coding sheet to ensure a consistent analysis of all the articles. Canadian views on gbMSM have been increasingly positive over time, and Canadian blood screening legislation has eased its deferral periods with little backlash in the past decade. Combining these factors, this study expects to find that most newspaper articles will first validate the amendment by highlighting blood science approving the change, and subsequently highlight the positive effect the amendment will have on the overall Canadian blood supply. To determine the validity of this hypothesis, several themes are incorporated into the coding sheet. 1) Views on the law change; with questions such as “Does the author highlight anyone celebrating the change? If so, who?”. 2) Focus of the story, with questions such as “What level of focus is given to the blood law change in the article?”. 3) Political implications and politician’s views, with questions such as “Does the article use the blood law controversy as an example of political inadequacy?”. 4) Risks of the law change portrayed in the story, with questions such as “Does the article discuss HIV stigma correlated with gbMSM?”. 5) Lasting effects on queer folk, with questions such as “Does the article mention damage to trust or other lasting effects on queer trust with Health Canada and blood donation as a whole?”. 6) Worries of complicity, with questions such as “Does the article mention worries about donors being complicit to the new screening criteria?”. 7) Patriotism related to the law change, with questions such as “Does the article highlight a phrase similar to ‘Canada has one of the safest blood supplies in the world’?”. 8) Civil citizenship and generosity, “Does the article describe blood donation as a way to feel ‘a part of the community’ or ‘giving back to the country’?”. The case of Canada’s historically homophobic blood donation deferral against gbMSM helps demonstrate Canada’s targeted homophobia against polygamous folk specifically. Post-gay theory lacks an analysis of how non-homonormative folk are positioned on a spectrum measuring gay acceptance, and this study aims to fill in the research gap that includes these historically neglected folk. This research will contribute to the growing literature on post-gay theory, but in a Canadian context. Furthermore demonstrating the current level of acceptance regarding gbMSM in Canada.

This paper will be presented at the following session: