The nation’s oldest LGBTI newspaper, the Washington Blade closed today after having just turned 40 years old. The Washington Blade, owned by Window Media, the nation’s largest owner of gay newspapers, also closed the South Florida Blade, Southern Voice, Houston Voice, David Atlanta Magazine, bitchsession.com, Genre Magazine, and the 411 Magazine. Employees arrived at work this morning at all of the newspapers locations to find the doors locked and a sign posted on the front door.

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.