Gabriel Delabays sat calmly, his feet elevated on a reclining chair, as a nurse drew blood from his left arm at a Swiss transfusion center last Wednesday, the first day gay men in the country could give blood without extra restrictions. Switzerland amended blood donation criteria for men who have sexual relations with other men, making ineligibility criteria the same for gay people and heterosexuals. “I’m moved that we made it, especially after such a long battle,” said Delabays, a member of the communal council in the Lausanne suburb of Ecublens who represents the Swiss Liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). “In some ways, I think this is a small page in a history book that says: On Nov. 1, 2023, Switzerland allowed homosexuals to donate their blood more easily.”