Ryan James Yezak, the filmmaker behind the in-progress documentary Second Class Citizens (remember 'The Gay Rights Movement' video?) is launching a national gay blood drive, a peaceful demonstration that he's going to capture for his documentary. Yezak writes:

The  drive  will  take  place  nationally  from  9am  PST  (which  marks  the  demonstration’s“universal  rallying  point”)  to  5pm  PST  that  Friday  and  will  consist  of  eligible  gay  and bisexual  male  donors,  most  commonly  referred  to  as  MSM  donors,  showing  up  to  get  tested at  a  specified  donation  center  in  their  respective  city  and  then  attempting  to  donate  their blood.  As  each  donor  is  rejected,  their  test  result  will  be  collected,  compiled,  and  delivered  to  the  FDA  –  Visually  conveying  to  them  on  a  national  level  how  much  blood  the  gay community  could  contribute  to  the  blood  supply  should  they  lift  their  current  policy.

While  it  is  anticipated  that  1,000  rejected  MSM  donors  will  be  exceeded – It’s  also  pertinentto  note  that  on‐site  mobile  rapid  HIV  testing  will  be  provided  at  each  location  for participants  to  confirm  their  statuses  before  attempting  to  donate. 

Watch his video about the event, AFTER THE JUMP…