Over on the western central edge of Ohio sits Darke County.
Of Ohio’s 88 counties, Darke County is the 7th largest, but ranks 49th in population: around 52,000 residents spread out over 600 square miles of largely rural landscape.
And that’s Darke County. Don’t you dare forget the “e.” The county was named after William Darke, an officer in the American Revolutionary War and the foster father of Thomas Worthington, the sixth governor of Ohio.
That history aside, you can’t resist the puns with Darke County, particularly with their starkly conservative politics. Residents voted over 81% Republican in the 2020 election, one of the most lopsided results in the whole state. Darke County’s current state representatives include Reps. Jena Powell and Angie King, co-sponsors on bills banning trans female athletes, public drag and a new effort to hinder transgender candidates from running for office.
Against that Darke backdrop, a new organization has formed to bring some, yes, light.
And maybe even some rainbows.
The Buckeye Flame spoke with Ryan Acker, board president of the new LGBTQ+ Community Center of Darke County. To listen, click play directly below or read our (edited) conversation beneath the audio link.
How would you describe Darke County to folks who have not visited?
Ryan Acker: It’s a bit of an eclectic area. It’s very rural, but it has some important things. Annie Oakley Days are part of Darke County. There are also some big names here like KitchenAid, which has its home here. And if anybody’s ever been to Darke County, the Maid-Rite [Sandwich Shoppe] is something that people stop by [as it has a] little bit of a famous reputation of its own.
In terms of the community, yes, there are a lot of conservative ideas. But there are also a lot of people who are interested in change and who are extremely innovative when it comes to healthcare and community [development]. We know that there’s a lot of support for our LGBTQ+ community, but we needed to have a space to bring people together so that the light could start to shine through.
What is it like identifying as LGBTQ+ there?
Our health department recently asked us if we felt safe. That was a powerful question for us. I had to really think about it and the answer was no.
With the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, it wasn’t that long ago that we weren’t able to get married. And so this new legislation has had a really harmful impact on our community in terms of whether or not we feel safe or even whether our family, friends and allies feel safe talking and speaking out on our behalf.
What we recognized from a public health perspective is that [the LGBTQ+ community] also has increased rates of mental health conditions, addictions and suicide rates in Darke County, specifically related to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The ideas and the legislation are really being incubated in our area.
So what we realized is that we have a opportunity and a commitment to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive space in Darke County. I’m so excited because once we got the ball rolling, there has been so much support that we have received: from some elected officials, from county agencies, from donors and just from many, many people who are excited that we are going to have this space.
This has allowed more people to feel safe and comfortable to speak out. We’re already seeing more people engaging, advocating for themselves and advocating for others. I think a lot of that is because we are bringing a light by opening this Center.
With the LGBTQ+ Community Center of Darke County, what are you all planning for the future?
We were really thoughtful about what kind of programs and services we wanted to offer. We just secured our space and we are hoping to have a more formal grand opening sometime later in the summer. We’re going to have a casual open house on May 1st where we’re inviting the community to see the space, check it out and learn about our programs.
And then our programs will really start in May. We are dedicated to having an advocacy component along with creating a safe space. So we have some individuals who are going to be training agencies and partners about how to be more LGBTQ+ inclusive.
We’ve also got some really great community groups that are going to start taking place. We have a Tuesday night group and we’re going to have an “LGBTQ+ Up All Night” from 10pm to 2am on Fridays. One of the things that we noticed is that for our community, particularly in rural areas, that is a time when people want to connect with other people, but there’s really not a safe place to do that. We also know that it’s a time of day where many LGBTQ+ people feel vulnerable. So we decided that this is the exact time that we want to be open.
The other thing that we’ve been able to do is to partner with health agencies starting in May. So we have our health department and a couple of other agencies from Columbus who are going to provide HIV testing and other types of services. It will continue to grow in terms of what’s going to be provided.
And we’re also doing leadership development programming. We recognize that there are opportunities for people to get training and go to conferences and learn things outside of our local community. So we really want to have the opportunity for Darke County’s LGBTQ+ community to travel and to get that education and then to come back and help lead our community.
How can our readers support what you all are doing?
We are really dedicated to making sure that we create something that is sustainable and that’s really going to be in Darke County for years to come. So we would love to share the opportunity for people to donate to us. We have a website where people can become a one time donor or also a monthly donor, which really helps us to make sure that we can always pay the rent.
I think this is important for our community in Darke County, but also for Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community. It is important for us as a community to have a space right in this area where a lot of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that’s impacting all of us across the state is taking place. 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- Learn more about the new LGBTQ+ Community Center of Darke County by visiting their website and considering a donation to support their work.
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