Saving Lives With Pride: Advocating for Equity in Stem Cell Donation

Equity in health care means more than providing treatment; it also means ensuring that life-saving resources are accessible, inclusive, and fairly distributed. Few examples illustrate this better than the need for a diverse and representative stem cell registry. Patients with blood cancers and other hematologic disorders often require a bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell transplant, but their survival depends on the availability of a closely matched donor. For too many patients, particularly those from underrepresented communities, that match never comes. The Saving Lives With Pride initiative exists to change that reality by addressing the historical exclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ people from donation, raising awareness about stem cell eligibility, and advocating for registries that reflect the true diversity of our patients. 

A Legacy of Exclusion 

For decades, blood donation policies excluded men who have sex with men (MSM) from participating, rooted in fear during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s. What began as a lifetime ban slowly shifted to deferral periods of five years, then one year, then three months. While these changes reflected evolving science, the policies themselves continued to stigmatize queer communities, perpetuating the harmful narrative that their blood was “unsafe.” 

In 2022, Canada took a significant step forward by eliminating MSM-specific deferrals in blood donation, replacing them with sexual behaviour–based screening that applies equally to all donors. Canadian Blood Services has since issued an apology, acknowledging the harms caused by decades of discriminatory policy. Yet, the trust broken by those policies cannot be rebuilt overnight, and the effects of exclusion are still felt in the present. 

Stem Cell Donation: A Different and Urgent Need 

Stem cell donation operates under different eligibility rules than blood donation. Gay, bisexual, and queer men between the ages of 17 and 35 are eligible to join the Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry. This fact is not widely known, in part because past restrictions on blood donation have overshadowed communication about stem cell eligibility. 

Diversity in the registry is not a symbolic goal; it is a medical necessity. Matching is determined by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types, which are inherited. Patients are most likely to find compatible matches within their own ancestral or ethnic background. Because Canada’s registry is disproportionately composed of donors from white, European backgrounds, patients of diverse ancestries are less likely to find a match. Encouraging participation from underrepresented groups, including 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, directly saves lives by expanding the pool of potential matches. 

Advocacy on the Ground: Pride Drives in Edmonton & Calgary 

This past summer, I had the privilege of leading Saving Lives With Pride stem cell drives at Edmonton and Calgary Pride. Standing at those booths, surrounded by rainbow flags and community energy, I witnessed firsthand what advocacy can look like when it meets people where they are. 

Many individuals approached with curiosity, often surprised to learn that, despite historical blood donation restrictions, they were eligible to join the stem cell registry. Some shared painful stories of being turned away in the past. One man told me how he stopped even considering donation because of the stigma he had faced decades earlier. Others expressed deep pride in finally being able to give back, especially knowing how badly diverse donors are needed. 

Those conversations reminded me that advocacy is not only about policy, it is about people. It is about affirming that queer and trans lives are not only worthy of receiving care, but also of being recognized as givers of life. Watching people sign up, sometimes with tears in their eyes, was one of the most heartfelt experiences of my medical training so far. 

Why Representation Matters 

Representation is not only about numbers in a database; it is about trust, inclusion, and dignity. For too long, queer and trans people were told, implicitly and explicitly, that their bodies could not contribute to saving lives. Saving Lives With Pride challenges that narrative by centering 2SLGBTQIA+ voices in donation advocacy, ensuring that queer individuals are not only eligible but celebrated as donors. 

This visibility matters. When queer and trans people see themselves represented in campaigns, educational materials, and donor stories, it affirms that their contributions are valued and needed. It also disrupts the long-standing stigma that has alienated these communities from the health system. 

Advocacy in Action 

Medical students and future physicians have a critical role to play. Advocacy is not abstract—it is rooted in concrete action: 

● Raising awareness: Educate peers, patients, and community groups about stem cell donation eligibility for queer and trans people. 

● Expanding the registry: Organize donor drives, especially at Pride events, universities, and cultural gatherings where diverse participants can be reached. 

● Challenging inequities: Hold health institutions accountable for ensuring that donor registration processes, software systems, and screening questions are inclusive of trans and non-binary individuals. 

● Building trust: Recognize and validate the trauma caused by past policies, and work alongside 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to rebuild confidence in donation systems. 

By positioning ourselves not only as clinicians but also as advocates, we can bridge the gap between policy and lived experience. 

Conclusion: Toward a Truly Inclusive Registry 

Saving Lives With Pride is more than a campaign; it is a call to action. It asks us to confront the harms of the past, dismantle the barriers of the present, and re-imagine a future where donor registries reflect the true diversity of Canada. Every new donor who joins the registry brings hope to patients waiting for a transplant. Every effort to include marginalized communities is a step toward health equity. 

When I think back to the faces of those who signed up at Pride– the excitement, relief, and joy of finally being welcomed into a system they had long been excluded from– I am reminded why this work matters. As medical students and advocates, we have a responsibility to push this work forward. Lives quite literally depend on it.