SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Salt Lake City Council voted to approve the addition of three new city flags that feature LGBTQ+ and Juneteenth designs.
The council, meeting late Tuesday evening, passed the measure unanimously to add three new flags as official flags to Salt Lake City. This was done to bring the city under code with the recently passed H.B.
“Our City flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City’s values,” Mendenhall said. “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.”
In a press release given after the passage, each flag was given a name which were as follows:
The passage comes a day before H.B. 77, which is set to take effect tomorrow, along with several bills from the 2025 General Session. Rep. Trevor Lee (R-Layton), the bill’s sponsor, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and said, “Does Salt Lake City really want to play these games? Good luck!”
The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton), also posted regarding the city action, posting pictures that he said would help other groups feel “seen.” Posting an edited picture of the Salt Lake City flag with a logo from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Israel, and a Trump flag.
It is currently unclear if Salt Lake City will face any litigation due to the passage of these new flags. According to H.B. 77, the State Auditor’s Office is tasked with the enforcement of the flag ban, which only allows the display of certain flags on government property.
These include:
If public entities violate this, the Auditor is tasked with fining the entity $500 per infraction, per day until the flag is removed.
ABC4.com has reached out to the State Auditor’s Office for a comment and has yet to receive a reply.
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, representing LGBTQIA+ communities and the Juneteenth holiday.
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. The new flags feature the city’s traditional Sego Lily on variations of the Juneteenth flag, the Progress Pride flag, and the transgender visibility 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:
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.”
Mendenhall told ABC4 that these flags are meant to include and not divide.
“These flags are about inclusion, acceptance, and unity. That is what they are about. Those are the values of this city, and I believe they are the values of this nation,” she said.
Project Rainbow Utah, which works to promote LGBTQ+ visibility and distribute Pride flags around the state, sent a statement to ABC4. The organization said it has heard from the community on how much a show of support, like a flag, can mean.
“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 Executive Director.
Project Rainbow Utah said they have heard concerns from Utahns about being able to fly Pride flags at their homes and businesses, and they want to reiterate that H.B. 77 only applies to government property and schools.
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