Salt Lake City council votes to make LGBTQ Pride flags official city flags in defiance of state law

In order to circumvent the law, Salt Lake City added its white sego lily logo to traditional LGBTQ and trans flags, turning them into municipal symbols. "This is important and critical for us as a city, but more importantly, for the people that live here to know that Salt Lake City continues to be a safe space for everybody," Councilman Darin Mano said of the council's vote, according to the Washington Examiner.

The law, HB77, introduced by Republican state Rep. Trevor Lee, bans the display of most flags by public school teachers and government entities. This includes, but is not limited to, flags honoring the LGBTQ community, political candidates such as Donald Trump, and movements like Black Lives Matter. Such flags are not permitted on taxpayer-funded properties. The new rule makes about a dozen exceptions, including US flags, Utah state flags, military flags, college flags, and Native American tribe flags, to name a few. Under the law, violators face $500 daily penalties.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall welcomed the council's decision, saying, "Our City flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City's values...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," the outlet reported.

Rep. Lee denounced the decision in a post on X, writing, "Does Salt Lake really want to play these games? Good luck!"

The new Utah law follows in the footsteps of the Trump administration's executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in government-funded institutions.