I saw an outrageous and infuriating piece of news on NBC News today. It’s almost too ridiculous to believe. This needs to be shared and protested against. Sign this petition!

The Food and Drug Administration sparked controversy this week when they announced plans to execute new rules barring men from donating sperm who had engaged in homosexual sex in the last five years.The FDA said that gay men have a higher risk of transmitting HIV or the AIDS virus. Zach Davis, the co-president of the Penn State LGBTA Student Alliance, said he was angered by the FDA’s decision. “It’s a little ridiculous,” Davis (sophomore-women’s studies) said. “It is another stab to the community as there is no reason to ban a gay man’s blood or sperm, and we will raise our queer voices against it with no doubt.” Spencer Paret, co-president of the Penn State LGBTA Student Alliance, said he was “offended and let down.” “I am really disappointed by the setback,” Paret (sophomore-engineering) division of undergraduate studies) said. “They are applying these rules without evidence and their reasoning is completely ignorant.” Paret also said he believes that gay men should be tested the same way straight men are tested. Graduate Assistant at the LGBTA Student Resource Center Brianna Serrano said the FDA surprised her. “If they would screen all men, regardless of sexual orientation, then I don’t see why gay men should be barred without evidence of HIV or AIDS,” Serrano (graduate-education) said. Julian Haas, an at-large member of the LGBTA Student Resource Center, said he thought the new rule was “something you would find “written by The Onion” — a satirical news website. “I thought it was a joke,” Haas (graduate-education) said. “The recent rules carried out by the FDA are a reinforcement of anti-LGBTA attitudes in the health care system.” The Associated Press contributed to this report. This article was written by Nick Vassilakos for Collegian Online.

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