Pride flags are set to fly in two US cities, in defiance of the Trump administration’s policy for US government property.
The states of Utah and Idaho follow the law banning any flag on government buildings and schools, including the Pride and trans emblems, except the Star-Spangled Banner and those of the military.
The law went into effect in Utah on Wednesday (7 May) but one day earlier the state capital, Salt Lake City, officially adopted four flags – including modified versions of the Progress Pride, Trans Pride and Juneteenth banners, the last of which commemorates the day slavery ended in the US – to bypass the law.
Each of the new flags contains an image of the state flower, the Sego lily.
The flags were presented by mayor Erin Mendenhall, who said: “My sincere intent is not to provoke or cause division,” the Associated Press reported. “My intent is to represent our city’s values and honour our diverse residents who make up this beautiful city, and the legacy of pain and progress they have endured.”
However, Republican speaker of the Utah House of Representatives Mike Schultz said: “This law is about keeping government spaces neutral and welcoming to all. Salt Lake City should focus on real issues, not political theatrics.”
Meanwhile, in Boise, Idaho, mayor Lauren McLean issued a retroactive proclamation which designated the Pride flag as an official flag of the city.
It also allowed a flag honouring organ donors to be flown.
Idaho’s flag ban on government buildings began last month, and a separate law, with some exemptions for school buildings, takes effect from 1 July.
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