The capitals of Utah and Idaho have responded to state bans on flying "unofficial" flags like the Pride flag on government property by making Pride flags official. In Salt Lake City, the city council unanimously approved three new official city flags on Tuesday, hours before the flag law kicked in, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. The new flags, all with a sego lily in the corner, like the original city flag, are versions of the Pride, transgender visibility, and Juneteenth long flown at City Hall. The city flags are "powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City's values," Erin Mendenhall, the city's Democratic mayor, said in a statement. "I want all Salt Lakers to look up at these flags and be reminded that we value diversity, equity and inclusion—leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, moving forward together."
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox allowed the flag bill to become law without his signature in March, the New York Times reports. A similar law passed in Idaho, where Boise made the Pride flag an official flag after a rowdy city council meeting on Tuesday, the Idaho Statesman reports. The council vote was 5-1. Bonners Ferry, an Idaho city just south of the Canadian border, has long displayed the Canadian flag as a sign of friendship. The city council voted Tuesday to sidestep the law's ban on flying the flags of other countries except on special occasions by declaring the entire year a special occasion, the Statesman reports.
"While the state has restricted which flags public buildings can fly, I'm glad we can still uphold our community's values within the law," said Salt Lake City Council Chair Chris Wharton. The Utah law doesn't specifically mention the Pride flag, but its Republican sponsor, state Rep. Trevor Lee, said banning the flag at government buildings was a main motivation for the legislation. "Does Salt Lake City really want to play these games? Good luck!" he said in a post on X Tuesday. A Lee spokesperson told the Tribune that he "looks forward to next session as lawmakers are able to open bill files beginning tomorrow." (More Utah stories.)
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