On May 11th, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration announced new guidelines that would eliminate blood donation policies that are based on sexual orientation. The updated FDA guidelines end a four-decade old policy that previously barred gay and bisexual men from donating blood. The new individual donor assessment now asks all prospective donors about their recent sexual history, regardless of the donor’s sexual orientation. This video explores the evolution of the blood ban starting in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis through today and how clinicians, blood banks, and the LGBTQ+ community worked to develop inclusive donation policies.