'Felt like a slap': Family says man's tissue donation rejected on basis of sexual orientation
CTV
A Nova Scotia family filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, saying their loved one's tissues were rejected based on sexual orientation.
"It was so important to him…To be told that his body was denied because of his sexual orientation. Really, it was like a visceral reaction. You just feel like you've been slapped."
Cindy Gates-Dee, the mother of Liam Dee, told CTV's Your Morning how a policy by Health Canada prompted her to file a claim with the Human Rights Commission.
Dee, 26, died from a rare form of cancer in November and wanted his tissues to be donated. His family says a policy discriminating against his sexual orientation prevented his loved ones from following suit on his wish.
"On the paperwork, it describes the reason for deferral as high-risk behaviour, sex high risk, patient had husband, high likelihood of sex with another man within the past five years," Jacob MacDonald, Dee's husband, told CTV's Your Morning on Friday. "I find that quite offensive, just to be calling someone's entire sexual identity 'high risk.'"
According to Gates-Dee and MacDonald, neither were asked questions about Dee's lifestyle to determine whether he was at an increased risk of HIV or hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
"These policies are very stigmatized," MacDonald said. "It's discriminatory."
Health Canada is responsible for enforcing regulations on human cells, tissues and organs for transplantation. Potential donors must be assessed to ensure they will not be transmitting any infectious diseases to recipients.
