The mother of 17-year-old Juleon Gonzalez is speaking out after she learned that a person in need rejected her son’s tissue donation because he was gay.
Christina Stewart, who is grieving the loss of her quiet and compassionate teenager who loved football and graphic design, was devastated to learn that her son’s tissue donation was being rejected despite the teen having registered as an organ and tissue donor in September 2024
“It’s really hard, I’m still in shock,” Stewart shared. “I just couldn’t believe it.”
As Stewart and Gonzalez’s father discussed the donation process with staff, they were informed that Juleon’s tissues could not be accepted due to his sexual orientation.
“When I first got the call [from the donation registry], I was so grateful and thankful that my son made the choice to donate after death,” Stewart explained. “They took us through the whole questionnaire, and at the end, they asked if he was gay. When we said ‘yes,’ they just completely denied the application.”
The executive director of Donate Life Texas expressed sympathy to Gonzalez’s family but could not confirm the specifics of the tissue rejection at the time of reporting. The organisation is working to provide further information.
The decision to deny Gonzalez’s tissue donation stems from federal FDA guidelines that Donate Life must follow. These guidelines prohibit men who have been sexually active with other men within the past 12 months from donating tissues or corneas.
However, change may be on the horizon. Earlier this month, the FDA issued new draft guidance recommending the removal of donor-screening questions that specifically target gay or bisexual individuals. Instead, the FDA suggests that donor eligibility be determined using risk-based assessments relevant to HIV, HBV, and HCV, regardless of the donor’s sexual orientation or gender.
This move builds on progress made in 2023, when the FDA eased restrictions on blood donations from gay men.
Organ donation saves lives. According to Donate Life, a single organ donor can save eight people, a cornea donor can restore sight to two individuals, and a tissue donor can help heal more than 75 others. The group also notes that while many people sign up to be donors, only three in 1,000 deaths occur in a way that allows for organ donation.
This rarity is part of what makes Stewart’s loss even harder to bear.
“It just feels like a stab right in my heart,” she said. “I feel like I need to speak up for him. [His tissues] could have helped 80–100 people, they said.”
Gonzalez’s story highlights the ongoing tension between outdated policies and the urgent need for life-saving donations, as families like Stewart’s hope for a future where sexual orientation is no longer a barrier to helping others.