Earlier this year, UTAH and the legislatures controlled by the Republicans of Idaho adopted prohibitions on the management of Rainbow Pride flags and other “unofficial flags” on government goods.
The leaders of the capitals of the two states, Salt Lake City and Boisse, recently designed an inventive bypass – modifying their official flags.
The mayor of Salt Lake City, Erin Mendenhall, proposed the adoption of three new flags in the city, which were approved unanimously by the municipal council. All three have the traditional design of Sego Lily, respectively imposed compared to a flag of pride, a trans flag and a commemoration flag of the juneteenth.
“Our city flags are powerful symbols representing the values of Salt Lake City,” said Mendenhall in a press release. “I want all Salt’s Lakers to watch these flags and remember that we appreciate diversity, equity and inclusion – leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, progressing together.”
The new flags were a direct reaction to UTAH bill 77, which reduced the list of flags authorized to the state flag, the American flag, the Olympic and Paralympic flags, the official college flags or the tribal flags, a flag of the city or the county and the military flags. States and local governments could be sentenced to a fine of $ 500 a day for having stolen from other unofficial flags.
The Bill of Chamber 96 of the Idaho has restricted flags to a list including the American flag, the Pow / Mia flag, the official flags of the Idaho colleges, universities and public schools, the official flags of the military branches and the flag of the State of Idaho. The flag of pride flew over the town hall of Boisse for years. The mayor of Boisse, Lauren McLean, published a proclamation in response, making retroactive pride an official flag of the city.
The reversal of LGBTQ + rights was a fixing for the Trump administration and for conservative legislatures across the country. The United States Supreme Court recently confirmed Trump’s ban towards Trans soldiers. The president wrote decrees to target trans athletes and impose strict gender definitions.
Wyoming, one of the redest states in the United States, had more transferred invoices than trans athletes this year. Iowa has prompted to remove the gender identity from the Civil Rights Code of the State. More than a dozen other states are considering flag measures similar to those of Utah and Idaho.
The Municipal Council of Boisse voted 5-1 in favor of the proclamation, with the member of the Council Meredith, as an affirmative vote.
“The withdrawal of the flag now after years of proudly piloting would not be a neutral act,” said Stead. “This would point out a retreat of the values that we have maintained for a long time and would send a discouraging message to those who found the assertion and belonging by its presence at the Town Hall.”
