Salt Lake City has adopted three new city flags that incorporate the LGBTQ, transgender, and Juneteenth symbols in an effort to bypass a new Utah state law banning such flags from being displayed on public buildings.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed the measure, which the city council approved on Tuesday, just one day before the state law took effect. The new flags blend the city’s official sego lily logo with the designs of the Pride flag, the transgender flag, and the Juneteenth flag. While the new state law does not allow these ideological flags to be flown on public buildings, it permits municipal flags, enabling the city to use the new designs as official emblems.
“These city flags represent the ideas and principles Salt Lakers know as core tenets — belonging and acceptance, or better stated: Diversity. Equity. Inclusion,” Mendenhall said during a council work session, seated next to all four flags, according to KSL.
“I have given this so much thought, and I do not do this lightly. My sincere intent is not to provoke or cause division; my intent is to represent our city’s values and honor our dear, diverse residents who make up this beautiful city,” she continued. “Let the sego lily represent the beauty and resilience of everyone who lives here, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, faith, income or sexual orientation.”
HB77, which became law Wednesday, restricts the flags that can be flown in public buildings, including schools, allowing a limited number of options such as the US, Utah, county, municipal, tribal, military, and Olympic flags. The law carries a $500 daily fine for violations.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox shared concern about the bill but allowed it to go into effect without his signature. He stated he agreed with the intention to push “political neutrality” but believed the bill went too far in regulating local government. He also issued a letter to the “LGBTQ community” in which he wrote, “I want you to know that I love and appreciate you and I am grateful that you are part of our state.”
