LGB Alliance Australia on Plasma Donation Reform

LGB Alliance Australia denounces the recent comments made by Senator Ralph Babet regarding gay men. His remarks are offensive, outdated, and have no place in a serious national conversation about public health policy.

Senator Babet, previously censured by the Senate for the inflammatory use of hate speech, continues to push homophobic rhetoric that undermines respectful public debate.

His hateful use of the term "sodomites" is a disgraceful slur from another time.

Senator Babet isn’t contributing to health reform, he’s constructing a soapbox made of outdated slurs.

He has no contribution to make on important public policy matters. His language and behaviour should be condemned.

LGB Alliance Australia welcomes the decision to lift the blanket ban on plasma donations from gay and bisexual men.

This is a significant and long-overdue reform in Australian blood and plasma policy. Many healthy men were previously barred from donating based solely on their sexuality rather than their individual risk. As a result, low-risk donors were excluded for reasons unrelated to safety.

This reform has the hallmarks of sound health policy:

• it is evidence-based

• it uses sensible eligibility criteria

• it is free from politics

• it incorporates safeguards, ongoing monitoring and continued screening

• it is supported by continuing research

We thank Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the many groups who advocated for this reform.

This is a common-sense public health measure. It represents a net gain for all concerned. Donors will now be treated equally, and plasma recipients will benefit from a broader, safe donor base.

Screening will now be based on universal screening questions for all donors, focusing on behaviours known to increase or reduce risk.

The change brings Australia closer to international best practice, following countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada. Both have implemented individual risk assessment models that treat all donors equally and uphold safety through behaviour-based screening. These systems reflect a clear global trend toward inclusion without compromising public health.

This is a clear win for our public health system, removing stigma from those who seek to help and those who depend on donated plasma.