Thwarted by his city council in 2024 for being a gay candidate, this Ohioan came back in 2025 and got more votes than them all
David Nation could have sued the Waynesville City Council last year. Instead, he ran – and won – to make a statement.
This article was originally published by Ken Schneck, editor of THE BUCKEYE FLAME, on 5th November, 2025. Republished with permission.
Only a few hours after his successful election to the Waynesville, Ohio, City Council on Tuesday, David Nation is ready to get to work for the people of his community.
“My biggest focus is preserving what we have because Waynesville is a unique and special small town with a lot of charm,” Nation said of the Warren County locale in the southwest corner of the state.
Nation’s election is the end of a 17-month journey to serve on a council that changed its rules to thwart the out gay male’s candidacy for an open seat in 2024.
Nation was the only individual to apply by the council’s deadline for a vacant seat to complete the remainder of a departing council member’s term. When he attended a meeting where he thought he would be sworn in, he was ambushed with the news that the council would be interviewing four candidates: Nation and three others whose applications came in after the deadline.
Although it was not required, Nation collected over 100 signatures from Waynesville residents supporting his candidacy. The show of support seemed to make no difference: The council appointed Lyle Anthony to the seat.
President pro tempore Chris Colvin then made a public statement flatly admitting that he took issue with Nation’s sexual orientation.
“My lack of support for David Nation in this appointment is due to his application including his resume with core achievements focused on ‘diversity and inclusion; and his efforts being a founding member of the [LGBTQ+] Rainbow Alliance ERG, which advocates for Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in ‘local government, businesses and educational institutions,’” Colvin said.
Colvin also dismissed the signatures Nation collected: “A subset of the voters does not indicate what the voters would decide in an actual election.”
Instead of taking legal action, Nation decided to run for the seat outright (“I did not want to cause any harm to my village).
On Tuesday, he was the top vote-getter of the six candidates for four open seats.
He received more votes than Colvin, Anthony and Troy Lauffer, another councilperson who voted against Nation.
“The subset is no longer the subset,” Nation said.
“I’m used to working with a lot of different perspectives in the business world and I’m sure we will figure out a way to work together cohesively,” he said. “We have bigger concerns to address, like Ohio’s proposed property tax plan, which could cost our tiny village $615,000 in revenue.”
Nation’s story traveled far and wide in 2024, and he received positive messages from all over the country.
“Everyone has been so supportive,” Nation said. “It was a tough situation, but it was worth it in the end. I feel really strong and encouraged by the outcome.”
Nation hopes his story of perseverance encourages others who are facing adversity and challenges.
“You have to keep pushing and let your purpose drive you,” Nation said.
As an out gay male candidate who won his election in a conservative village, Nation said he is humbled by the experience and hopes it shows other LGBTQ+ candidates that they, too, can be successful in their small towns.
“I know there are some people who don’t feel they are being heard, and I’m excited to do what I can to represent those voices,” Nation said. 🔥
Dr. Ken Schneck is the editor of The Buckeye Flame, Ohio’s LGBTQ+ newsroom. For this work, he was honored with the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for National LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year. He is the author of “Seriously, What Am I Doing Here? The Adventures of a Wondering and Wandering Gay Jew” and three LGBTQ+ Ohio history books. He is a graduate of the Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.