Salt Lake City and Boise Make Pride Flag a City Flag
Both cities are exploiting a loophole in their states' Pride flag bans allowing local governments to fly their official city flags.
Salt Lake City and Boise, two Democratic-controlled cities, have adopted the Pride flag as their official city flags in response to Republican-sponsored state laws barring unsanctioned flags — such as the Pride flag — at schools and government buildings.
In Salt Lake City, the city council unanimously approved new designs incorporating the city’ emblem of a sego lily atop the traditional rainbow-colored LGBTQ Pride flag and the blue, pink, and white-colored transgender flag.
The council also approved a design incorporating a red and blue flag for Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the U.S. government’s enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas on June 19, 1865, marking the official end of slavery in the United States.
Under Utah’s ban, government buildings may only fly or display the American flag, the Utah state flag, military flags, the Olympic and Paralympic flags, college or university flags, tribal flags, and historic versions of specially approved flags being used for educational purposes.
Any entities found to be flying flags that do not meet those criteria — including Pride flags or flags representing political ideologies or affiliations — can be fined $500 for each day such flags are displayed.
While the law doesn’t explicitly mention Pride flags, the law’s sponsor, Rep. Trevor Lee (R-Layton), repeatedly singled out the Pride flag as worthy of being banned because it is a symbol of “political ideology” rather than personal identity.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall defended the city’s efforts to skirt the law by declaring the amended Pride flag an official city flag, saying she wanted to communicate that city leaders value “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
“My sincere intent is not to provoke or cause division,” Mendenhall said, according to the Associated Press. “My intent is to represent our city’s values and honor our dear diverse residents who make up this beautiful city and the legacy of pain and progress that they have endured.”
Idaho’s flag ban, which took effect on April 3, is similar to Utah’s and prohibits the flying of any flags or banners besides the U.S. flag and flags of government entities or military branches.
While Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has previously said she believes the law is unenforceable, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador has vowed to push lawmakers to add an enforcement mechanism in the 2026 legislative session.
A separate ban, which applies to school buildings, is set to take effect on July 1.
To avoid any future attempts to penalize the city for displaying the Pride flag, McLean issued a proclamation retroactively making the rainbow-colored flag an official city flag, along with a flag honoring organ donors. As official flags, both banners could be flown alongside the city’s traditional blue flag featuring the Capitol building and the slogan “City of Trees.”
The city council voted 5-1 to approve McLean’s proclamation.
“Removing the flag now after years of flying it proudly would not be a neutral act,” Council Member Meredith Stead noted in remarks. “It would signal a retreat from values we’ve long upheld and send a disheartening message to those who have found affirmation and belonging through its presence at city hall.”
Approximately a dozen other states with Republican-dominated legislatures are reportedly considering identical flag bans under the guise of “promoting neutrality,” specifically with respect to LGBTQ-related symbols or banners.
But as evidenced by Salt Lake City and Boise’s actions, some local cities may push back against those bans by exploiting loopholes in the law. This back-and-forth between conservative states and more liberal-leaning cities is likely to continue as long as politicians continue to exploit LGBTQ visibility as a political cudgel against their ideological opponents.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.