Republicans gain 10 new Governor’s Mansions, new seats in the Kentucky House, the Kentucky Senate, and take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. With such huge losses to conservatives, the gay military ban will remain in place, with no gay friendly legislation passing either the U.S. or Kentucky Houses or Senates.

Robyn Deane, dressed in a red raincoat, jeans and heels, glanced at her handwritten notes before peering at the crowd gathered outside Virginia’s Capitol to promote the rights of gay and transgender state workers. For years, Deane, a man who is in the process of becoming of woman, had considered revealing her lengthy but largely unknown connection to Governor Robert F. McDonnell (R).

After a Florida hospital denied a lesbian access to see her partner, U.S. President Obama signed a memorandum directing the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to “ensure” that hospitals which participate in Medicare and Medicaid “respect the rights of patients to designate visitors” and allow those visitors the same privileges as immediate family members. The memorandum does not carry to weight of law. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, or the governor of any other state could have issued a similar memorandum or executive order for hospitals receiving state funds, or that participate in Medicare and Medicaid.

Virginia college students began to mobilize Monday in response to a legal opinion from Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II. declaring Virginia’s public colleges have no authority to ban discrimination against gay employees. Students at Virginia Commonwealth University planned a rally for noon Wednesday, with several hundred students committed. At Christopher Newport University, student Republican and Democratic leaders will discuss their next steps at a bipartisan meeting Friday.

In a story that mirrors Kentucky’s history, another Republican Governor rolled back protections for gay and lesbian people that a Democratic Governor ordered. His Excellency (official addressing per the constitution) Bob McDonnell rolled back protections for gay and lesbians in Virginia government, thanks to a little-noticed change made by the new Republican Governor in an executive order. His new order, which includes all previously protected categories including race, sex, religion and age – but not the previously protected category of sexual orientation – is also supported by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.