Get answers to your questions about organ, eye and tissue donation and the LGBTQ+ community. You can also contact your Donate Life State Team Leader to learn about how you can get involved on a local level and see if Donate Life has a presence at local Pride and community events.
A person’s sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression does NOT prevent that person from becoming an organ donor (deceased or living). Everyone is encouraged to register their decision to be an organ donor at RegisterMe.org.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates tissue and cornea donation. The FDA has a male-to-male sex deferral policy which could prevent a man who has been sexually active with a man in the past 3 months from donating their blood, and in the past 5 years from donating their corneas and tissues. Organ donation is not regulated by the FDA; organ donation policy is regulated by Health and Human Services (HHS). Organ procurement organizations (OPOs) are mandated to follow the FDA policy for cornea and tissue donation.
A person’s sexual orientation and gender identity or expression have no determination over whether they receive an organ transplant. A national system matches available organs from the donor with people on the waiting list based on blood type, body size, how sick they are, donor distance, tissue type and time on the list. Sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, race, income, celebrity and social status are never considered.
