‘Felt like a slap’: Family says man’s tissue donation rejected on basis of sexual orientation – CTV
May 19, 2023
“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.'”
