East Nashville’s Symbol of Pride Vandalized

Surveillance Footage Shows Driver Pouring Black Paint on Rainbow Crosswalk

The freshly-installed rainbow crosswalk at the 14th and Woodland streets intersection, located outside the East Nashville lesbian bar The Lipstick Lounge, has been vandalized. A surveillance video released on Friday showed an unidentified driver pouring black paint over the brightly colored crosswalk. Evidence of the act performed by what appears to be a white male was discovered on Tuesday, a few days after the installation of the prismatic pathway on June 29.

Vandalism Comes as No Surprise

District 7 Councilmember Emily Benedict, chair of the Metro Council’s LGBTQ Caucus, expressed that she wasn’t particularly taken aback by the incident when she learnt about it late Thursday night. Her first instinct was not to resort to hostility, but rather she expressed a desire to engage in a constructive dialogue with the vandal. She aims to foster a conversation about LGBTQ trials, hoping to enlighten the perpetrator about the significance of empathy towards community struggles.

Community Effort Brought to Life: The Rainbow Crosswalk

The painting of the crosswalk was a grand community event, well attended by nearly 200 Nashvillians of different age groups, lifestyles, and different professional backgrounds. This included important members of the LGBTQ Caucus, state Rep. Aftyn Behn, and state Sen. Heidi Campbell – adding a sense of unison and harmony to the atmosphere.

District 6 Councilmember Clay Capp stated that, despite the defacement inflicted upon it, the crosswalk serves as a potent symbol of equality and has been largely met with positive responses. He highlighted that minor acts of hatred won’t deter or dampen the spirit of community.

A Safety Measure in Disguise

According to Benedict, the introduction of the rainbow crosswalk was a long-awaited desire of the LGBTQ community which came to fruition through the Nashville Department of Transportation’s tactical urbanism program. The vibrant paint lends a double advantage – primarily, it celebrates the LGBTQ community, and secondly, it enhances visibility thereby increasing safety.

Standing up for Equality

Although there have been repeated attempts to target the LGBTQ community in neighboring towns and counties, particularly attempts to ban Pride flags, both Benedict and Capp firmly believe that Nashville is different and embraces inclusivity. Capp expressed anguish over the incident and asserted that an attack on anyone’s equality is indeed an attack on the equality of all community members.

The vandals were recorded by a nearby business’s surveillance camera, and it is hoped that the footage will help trace the license plate number of the vehicle involved.