Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall unveiled a series of flags on Tuesday that appear to circumvent a new state law banning "non-sanctioned" flags — including the LGBTQ+ Pride flag and the Juneteenth flag. The ban went into effect Wednesday.
The flags were revealed during Tuesday's Salt Lake City Council meeting. Technically, they comply with the new law because they are official city flags.
The new flags are variations of the LGBTQ+ Pride flag, the Juneteenth flag, the transgender pride flag and the official Salt Lake City flag.
In her remarks to the council proposing an ordinance to adopt the flags, Mendenhall talked about the new law that passed the legislature earlier this year and acknowledged they sometimes "disagree better," referencing Governor Spencer Cox's initiative about disagreeing on issues with civility.
"My sincere intent is not to provoke or cause division," she told the council. "My intent is to represent our city's values with honor."
The law that passed earlier this year banning what legislators deemed as "non-official flags" in classrooms and on government properties went into effect on Wednesday. Banned flags include the LGBTQ+ Pride flag, the Juneteenth flag, MAGA flags and others.
Government buildings will be fined $500 a day for flying any flag other than the United States flag, the Utah state flag, military flags or a short list of others approved by lawmakers. Utah became the first state to implement this type of ban.
Salt Lake City has flown the LGBTQ+ Pride flag in protest. Now, the mayor appears to have found a way around the ban by attaching the city's logo of a Sego Lily to it.
Salt Lake City Council members adopted the proposed ordinance in a vote later in the evening. A majority of the council members identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, suggesting support for the ordinance.
"Like other civic symbols, the Pride flag reflects our shared humanity and the values that help everyone feel they belong—no matter their background, orientation or beliefs," said Salt Lake City Council Chair Chris Wharton in a statement. "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."
In the post to social media below, State Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, clapped back at Salt Lake City's new flags with a reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, who sponsored the bill, "doesn’t have an official comment, but looks forward to next session as lawmakers are able to open bill files beginning tomorrow," a spokesperson for the House of Representatives told the Scripps News Group in Salt Lake City.
House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper,was more direct in a statement.
"Salt Lake City’s move to bypass state law is a clear waste of time and taxpayer resources. This law is about keeping government spaces neutral and welcoming to all. Salt Lake City should focus on real issues, not political theatrics," he said.
Project Rainbow, an organization that places thousands of Pride flags on homes and business properties across Utah, also weighed in — thanking Salt Lake City for "standing up for LGBTQ+ Utahns and pushing back against legislation aimed at erasing our community."
"Being an ally requires actions as well as words, so we salute Salt Lake City for showing up for LGBTQ+ Utahns," said Jacey Thornton, Project Rainbow Utah's executive director in a statement. "We have heard from Utahns concerned they won’t be able to fly pride flags at their homes and businesses, so we wish to reiterate to the public that HB 77 only applies to government property and schools."
This story was originally published by Ben Winslow with the Scripps News Group in Salt Lake City.
