A blood and plasma center in Gary, Ind., allegedly rejected a potential donor from giving blood because they decided he was gay. Gawker reported on Saturday that Aaron Pace, a straight man, went through the usual screening procedures at Bio-Blood Components Inc. but says he was told he couldn’t donate because he “appeared(d) to be a homosexual.” Blood donation centers [ital |are] allowed to turn gay men down as donors because of a 1983 FDA policy. Gawker reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to change the policy last year.

The Chicagoist, which also reported on Pace’s case, says that blood donations are now screened for HIV, hepatitis B&C and other diseases … never mind the fact that most people are aware these days that HIV doesn’t limit itself to gay men. “I was humiliated and embarrassed,” Pace said. “It’s not right that homeless people can give blood but homosexuals can’t. And I’m not even a homosexual.” Bio-Blood components offers blood donors a $40 donation for blood and plasma.

Employees discerned that Pace was gay because he is a big, pink tiger who dresses like a Chippendales dancer and says “Exit, stage left,” every time he leaves a room. Just kidding. There doesn’t seem to be any guidelines other than the always-untrustworthy gaydar.