Chinese gay man has blood donation lawsuit rejected

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A Chinese gay man who tried to sue after being barred from donating blood has had his lawsuit rejected by a court.

Wang Zizheng hoped to sue the Beijing Red Cross centre for discrimination as China bars gay men and lesbians from donating blood.

According to AFP, the state-run newspaper Beijing Times reported that Mr Wang was informed of the decision yesterday by a court official, who did not give a reason for the rejection.

He decided to sue after visiting the centre in June to give blood, where he declared he was gay on a form.

He was told that under Chinese health regulations, he could not donate blood because of his sexual orientation.

China’s 1998 ban means anyone who states they are gay on a blood donation form is automatically disqualified from donating. However, there is no penalty for lying on the forms.

While many countries ban gay men from donating blood due to fears of HIV infection, lesbians have an extremely low risk of being infected.

Mr Wang said he hoped to gain an apology for the centre and permission to be a blood donor.

The Beijing Times reported that he was disappointed at the court’s decision but said he would “not give up on his duties” and would continue his fight.

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