Contact:
Nathan Brockman, Trinity Wall Street
917-847-6185, nbrockman@trinitywallstreet.org
Lynn Goswick, Trinity Wall Street
917-224.9299, lgoswick@trinitywallstreet.org
Blood Mirror: organized by Jordan Eagles
Presented At Trinity Wall Street, November 2–December 1, 2015
Nine gay, bisexual, and transgender men donate blood for sculpture to protest
FDA’s ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men
Opening Reception: November 2, 2015, 6–9pm
NEW YORK, NY, October 9, 2015 – Trinity Wall Street’s Visual Arts Committee presents the New York
City premiere of Blood Mirror: organized by Jordan Eagles, an exhibition in which the central artwork
is a 7-foot-tall, interactive, monolithic sculpture created in response to the FDA’s ban on blood donations
from gay and bisexual men. Following an acclaimed showing at the American University Museum in
Washington, D.C., (currently on view until Oct. 18), the exhibition will move to the monumental Gothic
revival architecture of historic Trinity Church on Broadway at Wall Street. The exhibition includes a
documentary work, created in collaboration by Eagles and activist/filmmaker Leo Herrera. The Rev.
John Moody, who has served over a 40-year period, first as a staff member for the arts and now as a
present-day parishioner at Trinity, is one of nine men who participated in the creation of Blood Mirror by
donating their blood. The exhibition will be on view from November 2 (All Souls’ Day) through
December 1 (World AIDS Day) in the south vestibule of historic Trinity Church.
In 1983, in an early response to the AIDS crisis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
implemented a lifetime ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. More than 30 years later, on
May 13, 2015, the FDA proposed an updated policy that would allow gay and bisexual men to donate
blood, but only if they are celibate for a full year, and regardless of marital status. There is no celibacy
requirement for heterosexuals, regardless of their risk for contracting HIV. A UCLA Williams Institute
study found that lifting the ban completely could save up to a million lives annually.
In 2014-2015, artist Jordan Eagles enlisted a group of nine extraordinary gay, bisexual, and transgender
men, all with compelling and unique life stories, to each donate a standard pint of blood for the Blood
Mirror sculpture in protest of the FDA’s ban. Viewers of Blood Mirror can see themselves reflected in
the sculpture through the blood of the nine donors. This blood has been encased in resin and is fully
preserved, ensuring that the organic material will not change over time. A totem of science and equality,
Blood Mirror is an archive of the donors’ blood that confronts the 32-year history of the FDA’s ban.
Through the work in this exhibition, Eagles, his creative collaborators, and blood donors aim to inspire
dialogue about the FDA’s policy and its proposed revision. Presented in the sacred context of Trinity
Church, Blood Mirror invites a spiritual reflection and personal confrontation with one’s ability to see the
individual as part of the collective lifeblood of the body of humanity.
Eagles said: “I wanted to create a sculpture that would become a time capsule, documenting this moment
in time, while showing that this blood could have been used to save lives. This discriminatory policy is
part of our gay history and part of our nation’s history, and the sculpture asks us to reflect on
discrimination in our country, as well as the homophobia that exists around the world. For me, the
sculpture is a work in progress; it will never be finished until the FDA’s blood donation policy is fair for
all people.
“Bringing this work to Trinity enables us to expand the conversation beyond policy and science to address
the intrinsic spirituality in blood and the connection that we all have with one another. In the spirit of
giving and sharing inherent in donating blood, the nature of this project is one of collaboration, both with
the creative team and medical supervisors, and especially with the nine donors who selflessly and
generously contributed their blood and voices.”
The nine men who donated their blood to this project:
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The Rev. John Moody, 89-year-old openly gay retired priest and a part of the community at
Trinity Wall Street, New York City, for more than 40 years
Kelsey Louie, CEO, Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), the world’s first and leading provider
of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and advocacy
Lawrence D. Mass, M.D., co-founder of GMHC who wrote the first press reports on AIDS in
the early ’80s
CPT Anthony Woods, served two terms in Iraq, discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
(reinstated to service in 2014), Obama White House Fellow, 2012 Congressional candidate
Loren Rice, transgender man, married to Ethan Rice, also a transgender man, for 6 years
Oliver Anene, LGBT activist from Nigeria on political asylum in the United States
Ty Spicha, gay man whose identical straight twin brother is eligible to donate blood
Blue Bayer, bisexual father of two
Howard Grossman, M.D., internist at AlphaBetterCare, former director of the American
Academy of HIV Medicine, one of the first physicians to see cases of AIDS in the United States,
and medical advisor on Blood Mirror
Activist and filmmaker Leo Herrera collaborated with Eagles and filmed the blood donation of each of
the nine men. This footage, Blood Mirror: Raw Footage (12-21-14, 3-15-15), archives the act as protest,
and—through interviews with each donor—documents their unique personal stories, and their
perspectives on equality, science, history, and policy. This work runs 44:30 on a continuous loop. After
previewing a selection of this raw footage, MSNBC commissioned Herrera to create a short film for its
docuseries Shift. This 6-minute film (https://youtu.be/E6ofRB3oDh4) also includes additional footage of
Eagles creating the sculpture Blood Mirror, with music by NYC-based DJ duo, The Carry Nation.
Herrera said: “This work is about how gay and bisexual men overcome stigma through gathering and art.
It represents homophobia so deep that it infected science itself and spawned a fear of our most precious
fluids. For gay and bisexual men to be healthy of mind and body, it is crucial we see each other reflected
in our brothers so we can overcome the anxieties specific to our people. Blood Mirror is a symbol of the
love of culture and community.”
Trinity Wall Street, part of the fabric of New York City since the 17th century, is continually alive with a
message of inclusion, and is an organic match for forms of expression in art that unite and uplift all
people. The AIDS crisis left an indelible mark on New York, and it is appropriate to seek healing from its
many effects—the FDA ban included—in a place that has long been a sanctuary for the outcast and
forgotten.
On view November 2–December 1, 2015, with an opening reception for the exhibition on November 2,
6–9pm. Trinity Church is open to the public 7am–6pm weekdays, and 8am–4pm on weekends.
Twitter users can check out news and information about Blood Mirror and the FDA ban using the
hashtags #BloodMirror or #BloodEquality.
Trinity’s Visual Arts committee is chaired by Ryan Campbell, who also curated this exhibition.
Trinity Congregational Arts
The diversity of Music and the Arts at Trinity Wall Street is expressed through the individuals who
contribute their talents throughout the community. The Congregational Arts Committee celebrates artistic
gifts, as both novices and accomplished artists participate together in classes, dance, theater, poetry, and
other events, providing theological insights on spiritual, social, and moral issues. Events and
performances take place throughout Lower Manhattan at Trinity Church, St. Paul's Chapel, and the Parish
Center. The three sub-committees of Congregational Arts—Lively Arts (including the Trinity Movement
Choir and poetry), Allegro (music), and Visual Arts—all serve a vital mission of galvanizing the
downtown community through the arts.
About Trinity Wall Street
Chartered in 1697, Trinity Wall Street is an Episcopal parish offering daily worship services and faith
formation programs at Trinity Church, St. Paul’s Chapel, and online at trinitywallstreet.org. Trinity Wall
Street includes Trinity Grants, providing more than $80 million in funding to mission partners around the
world since 1972; St. Margaret’s House, providing subsidized housing to the elderly and disabled since
1982; Trinity Preschool; Trinity Institute, an annual theological conference; an extensive arts program
presenting more than 100 concerts each year through series such as Concerts at One, and performances by
the Grammy-nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street and the Trinity Youth Chorus. Trinity Real Estate
manages the parish’s six million square feet of commercial real estate in lower Manhattan, providing
funding for the parish’s local and global mission outreach. For more information, visit
trinitywallstreet.org.
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