Vandals tear down Ohio’s first gay historic marker

Vandals have pulled down the Natalie Barney Historical Maker in Copper Park. The new maker is the first in the state to acknowledge sexual orientation.

The Ohio Historical Marker for Natalie Barney was torn down by vandals some time this week, officials said. The sign was ripped of the post and was cracked in the bottom as shown here.

Photo courtesy of John Gantt The Ohio Historical Marker for Natalie Barney was torn down by vandals some time this week, officials said. The sign was ripped of the post and was cracked in the bottom as shown here.

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By Lucas Sullivan, Staff Writer Updated 1:58 AM Saturday, July 10, 2010

DAYTON — Police are searching for vandals who tore down the only Ohio historical marker for a gay or lesbian person.

The marker recognizing Natalie Barney was knocked down in Cooper Park some time before Wednesday, July 7, said John Gantt, executive director of the Greater Dayton LGBT Center. The park is next to the downtown Dayton Metro Library.

“A friend noticed it had been torn down and told me about it,” Gantt said. “I called police and they came and took a report.”

Barney was a literary patron and lesbian author who was born in Dayton in 1876, but lived most of her life in Paris.

Dayton Lt. Larry Faulkner said his officers are investigating the incident and do not have sufficient evidence to call the vandalism a hate crime.

“It’s a hate crime because why would someone tear it down and not take it,” Gantt said. “They just left it there and no other sign was damaged.”

The sign had a six-inch long crack in it and was broken off the pole, Gantt said. He said his group has the sign and will put it back up.

The marker was installed Oct. 25 after the Ohio Historical Society and members of state and Dayton area gay rights organizations led efforts to recognize Barney.

Officials with the LGBT center said they expected the marker to be vandalized and had it insured.

The Ohio Historical Society launched the initiative to put up the marker in 2006. Barney’s writings supported feminism, paganism and pacifism. In 1900, she published her first book of lesbian love poems, “Quelques Portraits-Sonnets de Femmes.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2494 or lsullivan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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