In a victory for LGBTQ rights, a broad swath of the U.S. population of gay and bisexual men Monday became newly able donate blood, thanks to the American Red Cross’ implementation of a landmark recent change in Food and Drug Administration policy. The policy, which the FDA put on the books in May, newly permits donations from men in monogamous relationships with other men, as well as those who have not recently engaged in anal sex. Gay activists and medical groups had long fought for this policy revision, especially in the face of blood shortage crises. They argued that the previous, more restrictive policies, while explicitly in place to protect the blood supply from HIV, were nevertheless discriminatory and not based on sound science given advances in testing technology.