More than 80,000 people have joined an online movement seeking the revocation of tax-exempt status from churches that were involved in the repeal of Maine’s marriage equality law. The law was repealed last week when 53 percent of voters chose to repeal the law using Maine’s unique system of law called “the people’s veto.”

Professor Bert Chapman from Perdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana has caused a firestorm because of his views on homosexuality. Chapman believes gays are an “economic drain” and blames the LGBTI community for AIDS research and prevention spending. The university has rejected calls to fire Chapman, but students at the university are refusing to attend his classes, and some have even organized protests.

Until the politicians who take our community for granted realize that they can no longer count on our votes unless we can count on theirs, things will never change for Kentucky’s LGBTI community. A Democratic majority in the Kentucky Senate could also mean a school bullying bill would be passed, in addition to a statewide equality law prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and credit for Kentucky’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Both measures have passed the Democratic controlled House of Representatives in the past, but died in the Republican controlled Senate.

Only days after Kalamazoo city voters approved an anti-discrimination ordinance to protect gays, lesbians and transgender individuals, Michigan Representative Pam Byrnes, current House speaker pro tem, has filed legislation to overturn Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage.

U.S. House moves to extend health benefits to gay couples, but its future in the U.S. Senate remains unclear. Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell (R) a senior Senator and the U.S. Senate Minority Leader will like vote against it, or worse still, attempt to stop the bill in the U.S. Senate.

Matthew Vanderpool (D-Lexington), an openly gay male is running against conservative incumbent Stan Lee (R-Lexington). If elected, Vanderpool would be the only gay lawmaker in Kentucky. Representative Lee has been responsible for filing a lot of anti-gay legislation.