Salt Lake City, Boise seek to skirt laws banning Pride flags by adopting them as city emblems

SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) – The Democratic-controlled cities of Salt Lake City and Boise adopted new city flags this week showing support for LGBTQ+ people in defiance of their respective states’ Republican-controlled legislatures, which have banned traditional rainbow pride flags at schools and government buildings.

"Our City flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City’s values,” Mayor Erin 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.”

The Salt Lake City Council had voted to approve the addition of three new city flags that feature LGBTQ+ and Juneteenth designs at a meeting late Tuesday evening. This meeting was called to bring the city under code with the recently passed H.B. 77 flag bill, which allows the display of only "certain flags on government property."

The measure — which aims to sidestep such violations by adopting the new flags as official city flags — passed unanimously.

Under the Utah law, which went into effect Wednesday, state or local government buildings can be fined $500 a day for flying any flag other than the U.S. flag, the state flag, a city or county flag, military flags, Olympic and Paralympic flags, official college flags or tribal flags. Political flags are not allowed.

It is currently unclear if Salt Lake City will face any litigation due to the passage of its three new flags, which commemorate Juneteenth and acknowledge the city's LGBTQ+ residents and transgender community. According to H.B. 77, the State Auditor's Office is tasked with the enforcement of the flag ban.

Idaho’s flag ban, meanwhile, took effect April 3, barring government buildings from displaying any flags except those on a short list including the U.S. flag, flags of military branches and official flags of government entities. A separate ban containing some exemptions for school buildings takes effect July 1.

The pride flag has regularly flown over Boise's City Hall for years, and Mayor Lauren McLean kept the flag aloft even after Idaho's law took effect. McLean said she believed the law was unenforceable.

Last week, McLean responded to the Idaho law by issuing a proclamation retroactively making the pride flag an official city flag, along with a flag honoring organ donors. It allowed both to be flown alongside Boise's traditional blue flag featuring the Capitol building and the slogan “City of Trees.”

The city council voted 5 to 1 for the proclamation during a packed and sometimes rowdy meeting Tuesday night.

“Removing the flag now after years of flying it proudly would not be a neutral act,” said council member Meredith Stead. “It would signal a retreat from values we’ve long upheld and send a disheartening message to those who have found affirmation and belonging through its presence at city hall.”

Both Salt Lake City and Boise's actions have already faced criticism from Republican lawmakers in each state.

Utah State Rep. Trevor Lee (R-Layton), the bill's sponsor, took to X and said, "Does Salt Lake City really want to play these games? Good luck!" And the bill's state Senate sponsor, Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton), also needled Mendenhall by posting edited pictures of flags representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Israel and "MAGA Country," claiming that she should adopt these flags, too, if she truly wants her constituents to feel "seen."

Idaho State Sen. Tammy Nichols also claimed "there will be consequences" for Boise in a post on X. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador also recently warned he would ask lawmakers to add a mechanism in the 2026 legislative session to enforce the state's new ban.

Other Idaho communities are also grappling with the restriction.

City buildings in Bonners Ferry, roughly 30 miles from the Canadian border, have long flown Canada's flag in a sign of cross-border friendship, removing it only in April after Idaho's governor approved the flag restriction.

But the law contains an exception that allows government entities to fly the flags of other countries during “special occasions.” Seeking to again fly the flag year-round, the Bonners Ferry City Council passed a resolution Tuesday designating every day of the year a “special occasion” to commemorate friendship with Canada.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.