Rainbow crosswalk vandalized less than 1 week after installation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Mere days after it was painted and installed, Nashville’s first rainbow crosswalk was defaced by an unidentified driver.
Hundreds of volunteers joined together Saturday, June 29 to paint the crosswalk at the intersection of 14th Street and Woodland in East Nashville.
The crosswalk is meant to be a celebration of Nashville’s LGBTQ+ community. It’s placed outside of Lipstick Lounge, the state’s only lesbian-owned bar, and is now covered with a tar-like substance.
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According to the Metro Council’s LGBTQ Caucus, the crosswalk was vandalized on Tuesday, July 2, but the caucus wasn’t notified until Thursday, July 4.
Officials said black paint was “purposefully spilled in multiple locations at the intersection of 14th and Woodland Streets.”
The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) told News 2 a detective is investigating the incident, adding that surveillance footage shows a man wearing a black T-shirt in a white Ford van pouring paint out of the driver’s side window onto the crosswalk at approximately 12:25 p.m. on Tuesday.
(Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN)
Community members, local leaders and several advocacy groups came together to paint the rainbow sidewalk as a closing celebration of Pride month. Organizers said the sidewalk is a symbol of love, diversity and advocacy.
“There are so many places that don’t feel safe for the LGBT community, but we’re a part of every community like we’re intertwined so much. But this is a safe space. And so inclusivity, being together. This represents all of that for us,” said volunteer Joshua Farrell. “It’s a step in the right direction for Nashville so it’s going to bring us closer to home and that’s what we need.”
SEE ALSO: Hundreds gather to paint Nashville’s first rainbow crosswalk
Metro Councilwoman Emily Benedict told News 2 the LGBTQ Caucus is working on gathering more information to find out what happened to the crosswalk. She added that it will be repainted and thanked everyone who has shown support for this community art.
“This behavior, while not unexpected, is an example of the hate that our LGBTQ community faces every day,” Benedict, the caucus chair, stated. She went on to say, “this public art was painted by all of the community – straight, gay, seniors, kids, and everyone in between. Rainbows don’t just represent equality, they represent fun and hope and joy. Nearly 200 folks came together to paint.”
According to the LGBTQ Caucus, MNPD has the surveillance video and will continue additional patrols. In addition, officials said the city is committed to “safety for all Nashvillians, including protecting public space from vandalism,” and “making sure the rainbow crosswalk remains as designed.”
If you have any information about the driver or the van involved in this vandalism, you are asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
The caucus said cameras will continue to monitor the area. Meanwhile, community members are encouraged to report any future vandalism.
“As much as I denounce this vandalism, I’d rather not focus on it,” Metro Councilman Clay Capp said. “We support the LGBTQ community and we have a lot more rainbow paint and a lot more love.”
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The crosswalk was made possible, in part, through the Nashville Department of Transportation’s Tactical Urbanism Program.
The crosswalk is located in Metro Council District 6, where Capp said, “So many people have reached out to me since the crosswalk was painted to express how glad they are that this beacon of equality is in our district. NDOT’s Tactical Urbanism program is designed to engage residents to create art that improves the safety of our streets. Pairing that with celebrating our LGBTQ neighbors is the perfect combination for East Nashville. Dozens of people have offered to repaint. Diversity and inclusion is a way of life in this neighborhood. We don’t do hate in East Nashville.”
“NDOT’s program comes with minimal cost to the city due to the volunteers who create it, however any time someone defaces a project, the city uses funds to repair it. This vandalism is simply wasting taxpayers’ dollars,” Metro Councilman Russ Bradford, the caucus vice chair, added.
According to The Movement Advancement Project, an independent think tank, Tennessee received a negative overall policy tally, meaning that it is one of the least LGBTQ-friendly states in the country. Meanwhile, a recent report from Out Leadership, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ inclusion in business, ranked Tennessee 46th in the nation for LGBTQ equality.
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