India’s Supreme Court legalized gay sex in 2018, but the country still bans transgender people and gay and bisexual men from donating blood, citing their higher risk of HIV. This decades-old ban, introduced during the 1980s HIV-AIDS epidemic, remains in place despite medical advancements and shifting social attitudes.

LGBT activists argue that the ban is discriminatory, violating their rights to equality and dignity. They highlight cases where individuals couldn’t donate blood for their ailing loved ones, and stress that the ban excludes them from accessing life-saving medical care.