Salt Lake City could adopt pride, Juneteenth themed city flags ahead of state flag ban

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A day before Utah’s new ban on certain flags at schools and government buildings, including pride flags, Salt Lake City’s Council presented three new potential city flags — each with the city’s traditional Sego Lily design, but with colors representing the LGBTQ+ community and Juneteenth.

The flags, presumably, don’t violate Utah’s new law prohibiting political flags because they’re set to be adopted as official city flags.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall presented the ordinance and designs to the council in a work session on Tuesday — all with its traditional sego lily, including the city’s current flag on blue and white. In addition, she also presented one with the red and blue of Juneteenth, one with the LGBTQ+ pride colors, and another with the blue, white, and pink of the transgender flag.

She said when the law passed, the council looked at it closely to understand how they could abide by it, while still representing Salt Lakers and their values.

“As mayor, I have a duty to lawfully uphold the values of our nation, state, and our city. I know that the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are not only right and just, but they are fundamental to America, even through all its struggles to uphold them,” she said. “I am not interested in any debate about the rightness of these values; they are American, they are ours, and they are right. How they are implemented is the only matter in question.”

Mendenhall said that these flags have been flown over Washington Square throughout the years she’s served as mayor, adding it’s a sight she’s proud of.

“They represent our American values, sewn in color and cloth. In lieu of this defining legislation, I have determined that when it comes to representing our city’s values, I know we can do more than fly a single flag. Three more, to be precise,” she said.

The council is set to vote on them at their formal council meeting.

H.B. 77 “Flag Display Amendments” passed the Utah Legislature in March, in effect, creating a ban on pride, Juneteenth, and other political flags in schools and government properties. It is set to take effect on May 7.

The law doesn’t ban the pride flag specifically, rather, it lists approved flags that can be flown, including:

• U.S. flag
• Utah state flag
• Flags of other countries, states, or cities
• Flags for colleges and universities
• Military flags
• Flags of Native American tribes
• National League of Families POW/MIA flag
• Olympic flags
• Public school flags

Historic versions of flags, like the U.S. and Utah, would also be allowed, and flags displayed as part of the curriculum or for educational purposes are also allowed.

It’s not the first response Salt Lake City has had to the pride flag ban. The day after the legislature passed the law, the city lit up its building in rainbow colors.

The flag bill’s sponsor, Rep. Trevor Lee, (R – Layton), has threatened anyone who tries to subvert the law. In early April, he posted on X a response to a video purported to be a Utah teacher sharing pride symbols.

“While my bill just covers the flags. HB281 will cover all these other symbols or anything purposely trying to subvert the law. Classrooms and taxpayer entities should always be politically neutral,” he wrote.

ABC4.com called Lee for a statement following the announcement, to which he said, “It’s not going to go well for them, nice try.”

The bill assigns the state auditor to receive and investigate alleged violations of the bill. If deemed credible, the government entity or school will be fined $500 per violation per day.