Communities fight back against states banning Pride flags on government buildings

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• Geoff Bennett:

  This year marks a decade since same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide. But in several Republican-led states, efforts are under way to ban Pride flags from public schools and government buildings, sparking a wave of local resistance.

  Deema Zein has the story.

• Deema Zein:

  In Salt Lake City, a historic flag-raising.

  Erin Mendenhall (D), Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah: You are welcome here, because, in Salt Lake City, you belong.

• Deema Zein:

  The city adopted a new official flag called the Sego Belonging Flag featuring LGBTQ colors underneath the city's sego flower.

• Erin Mendenhall:

  What we're doing today is about the dignity and the worth of every single person in this community, no matter who they are, no matter who they love.

  (Applause)

• Deema Zein:

  The move coming just hours before a new law took effect in Utah banning public schools and government buildings in the state from displaying any flags that aren't officially approved.

  Utah was the first state in the nation to ban Pride flags from public buildings, but not the last. Idaho and Montana have adopted similar bans in recent weeks, and at least eight other states with Republican-controlled legislatures are considering the idea.

  Orion Rummler covers LGBTQ issues and politics for The 19th News.

  Orion Rummler, The 19th News: Republican lawmakers have framed these bans as a necessary way to make state houses and government buildings and schools, depending on the language of the ban, neutral places.

• Deema Zein:

  But some cities are pushing back, like in Boise, Idaho, where a Pride flag has flown for several years outside City Hall.

• Woman:

  We have a motion and a second.

• Deema Zein:

  Last month, the City Council voted 5-1 to designate it as an official city flag, which they say will allow them to continue to fly it and not violate the new law.

• Meredith Stead, Boise, Idaho, City Council:

  The city removing the flag now after years of flying it proudly would not be a neutral act.

• Deema Zein:

  Boise Mayor Lauren McLean arguing:

  Lauren McLean, Mayor of Boise, Idaho: we know That that's not just a flag. We know it says who we are.

• Deema Zein:

  Just two blocks away sits the Idaho State Capitol, where the legislature voted overwhelmingly to pass H.B.96, a bill that bans — quote — "governmental entities" from displaying any flags other than the U.S. flag, state and local flags, the POW flag, or those from military branches and Native tribes. Schools may also display their own banners.

  Idaho's Republican attorney general warns Boise's mayor to take down the flag or face penalties when the state legislature comes back in session.

  Raul Labrador (R), Idaho Attorney General: It's going to cost the community and the city money for violating the law, and she doesn't pay it out of her pocket. It's going to cost the citizens of Boise, and I think that's shameful.

• Deema Zein:

  In neighboring Montana sits the city of Missoula. Earlier this month, city leaders voted to adopt the Pride flag as its only official city flag, despite a new Montana state law that prohibits flags on state property that — quote — "represent a political viewpoint, including but not limited to flags or banners regarding a political party, race, sexual orientation, gender or political ideology."

  The Republican governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, called the move divisive, posting that Missoula City Council should be ashamed for imposing a Pride flag on schools and dividing their community.

• Orion Rummler:

  This is more than blue dots rebuking the culture war policies of their Republican-controlled legislatures. Choosing to fly those flags as official city flags sends a message that the city wants to stand apart from the rest of the state as a beacon of inclusivity.

• Deema Zein:

  A challenge that for now hangs in the air.

  And now we are joined by Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

  Thank you so much for joining us.

  I want to jump in first and ask your reaction when you heard about Utah's legislation bill banning all nonofficial flags at schools and governmental buildings.

• Erin Mendenhall:

  Well, it didn't make a lot of sense as an urgent topic for our legislature to address, and yet they chose to do so.

  And we worked really hard to figure out how we could both abide by that law and continue to represent the values of Salt Lake City.

• Deema Zein:

  You adopted three other flags, amending them as official city flags, allowing you to fly them. Can you dig in a little deeper here and talk about what these flags symbolize to you and to your community?

• Erin Mendenhall:

  They symbolize the values that have been here in Salt Lake City for generations, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. They do not exclude. These are flags of inclusion. We have raised two of them in the month of June with the Juneteenth flag raising and Pride.

  And we have heard from hundreds, even thousands of community members who've said, I see myself being represented in these flags. I feel seen and valued and wanted and understood. And that's what these flags are about.

• Deema Zein:

  Utah Governor Spencer Cox didn't sign the bill, but he also did not veto it, which allowed the law to go into effect. He was asked about Salt Lake City's Pride flags, and here's what he had to say.

• Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT):

  I'm sure they feel great that they got around this dumb law and they did it with dumb flags. And it's just — the whole thing's dumb.

• Question:

  What do you think should be done?

• Gov. Spencer Cox:

  Well, I already said what I thought should be done. We should raise the American flag and let's unify around that.

• Deema Zein:

  They are dumb flags and it was a dumb bill. What's your response to the governor?

• Erin Mendenhall:

  It's fine if he wants to say that about the decision that I made to bring these flags forward for approval with our city council. That's my role as the mayor. I take that responsibility, but I don't think it's the right way to address community members who feel validated, seen, heard and wanted in their community because they see these flags flying.

• Deema Zein:

  Have you felt or have you had a sense, a bigger sense of the state seeking more control over your city's ability to function?

• Erin Mendenhall:

  I think that's a pretty consistent dynamic, especially in a blue dot capital city in a red state with a supermajority Republican legislature. That's not a new experience for us, but it's something that we're constantly navigating.

  My administration has a pretty good relationship with state leaders. We talk to each other even when we disagree. And I think we're going to be able to keep talking through this. I don't think this is the end of what we will see from the legislature regarding the flags, but neither is it the end of our ability to represent our values. And we will keep finding ways to do so.

• Deema Zein:

  Could the ban have economic repercussions for your city or state? And are you worried that your city will suffer from this?

• Erin Mendenhall:

  You know, Salt Lake City is an inclusive, loving, welcoming, proud city. We're proud of our diversity. United communities are not afraid of our diversity. We celebrate it. We recognize our differences and we recognize that those differences make us stronger.

  I think asking for sameness across the board is probably the biggest threat to our economic potential as a state. And Salt Lake City's willingness to display our values in cloth through the adoption of these official flags has had waves of response from other cities across the world that have reached out and said, thank you for standing up like this.

• Deema Zein:

  Do you think other cities around the country should take your lead on this? And, if so, what advice do you have for them?

• Erin Mendenhall:

  My advice to other cities is to represent your communities and stand by your values. When we're in the minority, sometimes, we have to compromise on our vision to some extent, but we should not compromise on our values.

  Salt Lake City is proud to have been able to find a way to keep our values at the forefront, literally be able to hang them on a flagpole. That might have to change in the future, but we're up for that. Let's keep representing your community and your community's values, and I think we will find our way through this.

• Deema Zein:

  Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, thank you so much for joining us today.

• Erin Mendenhall:

  Thank you for having me.

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