A truck filled with hundreds of bags of blood drove through the streets of São Paulo with the message "Brazil wastes a truckload of blood everyday because of pure prejudice." The stunt was part of an international campaign called #WastedBlood which seeks to draw attention to the fact that Brazil still prohibits gay and bisexual men from donating blood. The campaign is being run by international LGBT rights group All Out in collaboration with the advertising agency Africa.

The blood ban is a result of an ordinance put in place by Brazil’s Ministry of Health on December 12 2013. Although it makes no reference to the sexual orientation of possible donors, the regulation states that men who have had sexual relations with other men in the last twelve months are ineligible to give blood. Yet conversely, it also states that blood banks should not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

"The Ministry of Health argues that the blood ban will protect the quality of blood that’s collected. But all blood collected in Brazil is tested for viruses like HIV and HCV, which causes Hepatitis C," said Leandro Ramos, director of programmes at All Out. "This campaign aims to show that, by keeping the ban in place, the Brazilian government is quashing public dialogue on equal rights, reinforcing stereotypes and throwing out thousands of litres of blood that could save lives."

Blood donation from gay and bisexual men is still a controversial issue in many parts of the world. But a number of countries in Latin America - including Argentina, Chile, and Mexico - have already revised their procedures to ensure that the same rules for blood donation apply to everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

"If a person doesn’t use drugs, maintains a monogamous relationship and always uses a condom, they’re allowed to donate blood in Brazil. Unless that person is a man who has sex with other men. But all donated blood, no matter who it’s from, is regularly and comprehensively tested. So why are gay and bisexual men banned from giving? The blood of a gay or bisexual man is just as valuable as the blood of anyone else," said Alvaro Rodrigues, Creative Vice President of advertising agency Africa.

The campaign also has a website, available in three languages, where gay and bisexual men can join a virtual "donor queue." The idea is to demonstrate the number of potential donors and the quantity of blood wasted by the ban. This online platform can be found at www.wastedblood.com.