Darke County, Ohio, on the border of Indiana, is a ruby-red rural voting district that’s home to nearly 52,000 people – just under the population of Youngstown.
It is also home to the LGBTQ+ Community Center of Darke County, one of the few rural organizations in Ohio serving the queer community with a dedicated building that hosts regular drop-in hours and themed events each week. The center is celebrating its first anniversary on May 1. Board President Ryan Acker said the organization plans to expand with youth programming and make more connections regionally and beyond.
“ Our center and our community have really nurtured a sense of hope,” he said.
Building history
The nonprofit grew out of conversations with the Darke County General Health District and the Miami, Darke, and Shelby Suicide Prevention Coalition over an emerging mental health crisis in the LGBTQ+ community, Acker said. The crisis was driven by anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation – some of which came from Darke County’s own Republican representative, State Rep. Angie King (R-Celina), who stood side-by-side with neo-Nazis protesting Celina Pride in 2023.
Once those health needs were identified, Acker said, work began to form a standalone LGBTQ+ organization to aid in the crisis and other community work.
“Really, what we heard from the community was that there needed to be a safe place where people could go, and also a place that creates positive visibility for the community,” he said. “From the moment we opened the doors, people expressed a sense of relief.”
The building itself is modest from the outside, but the signs outside the door promote the LGBTQ+ Community Center as a safe space. Inside are a public gathering room, a coffee bar and some small group rooms. The public gathering room is colorful with rainbow decorations, and Acker said the coffee is always hot.
The center’s regular programming includes an LGBTQ+-friendly Alcoholics Anonymous, a social event every Tuesday, a themed social event every Thursday night and “Talk to the Doc,” where people can ask an LGBTQ+-friendly doctor healthcare questions and seek resources. The center also hosts an advocacy program and provides safe-space training.
And more is coming. Recently, the center put out a request for proposals for potential partners for a future youth program. There will also be more wellness programs, like massages, gardening classes and more.
Looking to the future
But Acker does not want the welcoming environment to end at the front door.
”We are nurturing and facilitating those conversations with the sheriff’s department, the library, public health department [and] Greenville Township,” he said. “Ideally, it is our hope that they help create a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ people beyond the center’s walls.”
During a typical week, the center sees 20 to 30 people, though it “ebbs and flows” through the months, Acker said. But its most well-attended event is the Winter Gayla, a celebration that honors local changemakers with Prism Awards.
Those who use the center report improvements to their well-being, he said. Those who haven’t visited yet still say they like knowing that the center is there.
“ There’s certainly work to do, but I think that we are finding that we have the ability to build supports,” Acker said. 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- The LGBTQ+ Community Center of Darke County is hosting an open house in celebration of its anniversary from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 1.
- To learn more about the LGBTQ+ Community Center of Darke County, click here.
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