I first learned of the ban on gay blood in 2003, when aged 21 I tried to register online as a blood donor.

I got through all of the questions with ease, until I was asked if I'd ever had protected sex with a man.
I answered yes, clicked next - and was immediately given an 'application denied' message.
I was shocked to say the least - after all, this was protected sex and I had only ever had 1 sexual partner.

I then tried to apply again, but this time I wanted to see if I would be declined
if I said that I was straight but had had unprotected sex with several women...

I wasn't declined - I was told 'congratulations - you can give blood'.

I felt extremely angry and discriminated against - but more importantly, I could see a simple solution to the constant cries of 'our blood stocks are currently very low' that we hear about via press adverts, television commercials and the internet - simply allow gay people to be blood donors too.

I therefore wrote to the Chair of the Blood Donor committee who confirmed that gay men were precluded from becoming blood donors. Over the past few years I have waited for the rule to change, but it has not. Therefore, I decided in late 2007 to launch this petition and present it to both the National Blood Service and PM Gordon Brown.

Since then, we've discussed this on BBC Radio 2 and BBC FiveLive and I have met with a consultant haematologist from the NHS blood donor team who confirmed that the matter is likely to be on the work plan of the new Department of Health advisory committee (SABTO: the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs) later this year.

However we still need signatures to ensure that this matter is given attention by the
committee and to ensure that the policy is then amended. So please sign now!