Salt Lake City adopted three new flags of the city on Tuesday, an effort to avoid a new UTAH law that effectively prohibited flying LGBTQ pride and other flags in public buildings of the state.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall, a Democrat, presented the proposal to the City Council, who adopted her at her meeting on Tuesday night. Incorporates the flag of the city in designs that celebrate the rights of Juneteth, LGBTQ and trans rights.
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In March, Utah became the first state to make such flags illegal in all public schools and universities and governmental buildings, which caused indignation between democratic officials and civil rights groups in the State. That law prohibits the exhibitions of unauthorized flags and was widely interpreted to ban the flags that celebrate several communities in Salt Lake City, a blue place in UTAH socially and politically conservative.
One of the proposed flags, called Sego’s belonging flag, intends to honor the city’s LGBTQ residents, while another, which officials called the visibility flag of Sego, intends to recognize the trans community of the city. The third proposal flag, called the Celebration Flag of Sego, intends to honor the black residents of the city, as well as the history surrounding the holidays of June.
“The flags of our city are powerful symbols that represent the values of Salt Lake City,” Mendenhall said in a statement on Tuesday night. “I want all jumpers to look at these flags and remember that we value inclusion and acceptance, without a doubt that we are united as a city and people, advancing together.”
“Like other civic symbols, these flags reflect our shared humanity and the values that help everyone feel that they belong, regardless of their background, guidance or beliefs,” added the president of the Council of the City of Salt Lake Chris Wharton in a statement.
The state law, which is scheduled to formally enter into effect on Wednesday, imposes a fine of $ 500 per day in buildings of the state or local government that fly any flag that is not the flag of the United States, the state flag, a military flag or a flag of a brief list of those that legislators had approved. They include Olympic and Paralympic flags and flags for American native nations. According to the law, political flags were also prohibited.
Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, expressed concern about the law, but allowed him to enter into force without his signature.
In a letter in March that described his decision, Cox told the legislators that he agreed with the “intention” of the bill to boost “political neutrality”, especially in schools, but said it went too far in his attempt to regulate the local government. He also wrote that by addressing only the flags, the bill failed to assume other forms of political expression, such as posters, signs and drawings.
In his letter, he also specifically addressed the “LGBTQ community”, writing: “I want you to know that I love you and appreciate you and I am grateful that you are part of our state.”
“I know that these words may sound to many of you,” he added, “but please know that I mean them sincerely.”
Amanda Terkel contributed.
