Artist Zain Curtis creates T-shirts with gay men's blood to protest FDA ban
Zain Curtis, an artist, has designed a series of limited-edition T-shirts featuring screen-printed red ink that contains the blood of gay men. This initiative aims to protest the FDA's 1983 prohibition on blood donations from men who engage in sexual relations with men, a policy that persists despite improved knowledge about AIDS. The U.S. remains among the few nations enforcing such a restriction. Curtis partnered with Stuart Semple to create the unique ink, while Mother Goods, an offshoot of the agency Mother, markets these items. Proceeds from the "GAY BLOOD Collection" support Callen-Lorde, a prominent LGBTQI+ healthcare organization in New York. Although the American Red Cross pushes for a change in policy, no updates are expected soon.
Key facts
- Zain Curtis created limited-edition T-shirts with ink infused with gay men's blood.
- The T-shirts protest the FDA ban on blood donations by men who have sex with men.
- The FDA ban has been in place since 1983 during the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
- Curtis worked with artist Stuart Semple to develop the ink.
- Mother Goods sells acrylic paints, spray paint kits, and fountain pens from the collection.
- All proceeds go to Callen-Lorde, an LGBTQI+ healthcare organization in New York.
- A 150 ml acrylic paint set costs $30.
- The American Red Cross opposes the ban but no policy change has occurred.
Entities
Artists
- Zain Curtis
- Stuart Semple
Institutions
- Food and Drug Administration
- Mother Goods
- Mother
- Callen-Lorde
- American Red Cross
Locations
- United States
- New York