Earlier this month, we reported that the mayor of Starkville, Mississippi, had bravely vetoed a Board of Alderman decision to repeal two historic gay-rights initiatives.

With the Board of Alderman expected to override Mayor Parker Wiseman's veto on Tuesday night, LGBT activists launched a Twitter hashtag, #WeAreStarkville, and staged a rally Saturday outside the county courthouse.

The Commercial Dispatch reports:

Besides local calls, the Human Rights Campaign, a national supporter of LGBT rights, issued a notice for pro-equality advocates to attend Tuesday's 5:30 p.m. meeting at City Hall.

"As a Mississippi State University graduate and lifelong resident of the Magnolia State, I realize this is the moment to show the world the road to advance equality in Mississippi begins in Starkville," Rob Hill, HRC Mississippi director, said. "The city has already proven once before it is on the right side of history, and what happens Tuesday will determine whether it remains the statewide leader of inclusion, fairness and opportunity." …

At MSU's Mitchell Memorial Library on Thursday, organizers estimated about 200 people took pictures together with signs bearing the #WeAreStarkville social media hashtag.

On Saturday, pro-LGBT activists again spoke out publically against the city's recent action at the steps of the Oktibbeha County Chancery Courthouse.

"We're here, and we're not going anywhere. We're going to keep fighting and speaking out," said rally organizer Melissa Grimes. "There are about 900 more days until we can elect new officials. Their time is coming, and we have their number. We're going to make sure that those who supported us are taken care of. Those aldermen who didn't, we'll show up and vote them out of office."

Starkville, which has a population of 24,000 and sits adjacent to Mississippi State University, became the first city in the state to approve a statement of support for LGBT equality last January — and the first to extend benefits to the domestic partners of employees in September.

However, after some members flip-flopped under pressure from anti-LGBT religious groups, the Board of Alderman voted 5-2 in a closed session earlier this month to repeal the policies — prompting Wiseman's veto. If the 5-2 majority holds, it will be enough to override the mayor's decision.

The five aldermen who voted to repeal the measures were Lisa Wynn, Ben Carver, David Little, Roy A. Perkins and Henry Vaughn. In case you're wondering, their contact info can be found here.

View more photos from the #WeAreStarkville hashtag, AFTER THE JUMP…