Democrat-run cities in Utah and Idaho are responding to state laws designed to limit political expression on government property by formally adopting progressive flags—including the Progress Pride flag and the Juneteenth flag—as official city emblems, effectively bypassing recently enacted restrictions.
According to the Associated Press, both Utah and Idaho have passed laws requiring political neutrality in public flag displays, limiting most government buildings to only fly the U.S. flag, state flags, and military flags. Utah’s version of the law went into effect Wednesday.
But city leaders in Salt Lake City and Boise–the largest cities in each state respectively are bucking their laws.
On Tuesday, Salt Lake City adopted four official city flags: its current municipal banner, the Progress Pride flag, the Transgender Pride flag, and the Juneteenth flag. All four will now be considered official symbols of the city and will incorporate the sego lily, Utah’s state flower.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who introduced the ordinance, insists the maneuver is not about provocation but representation.
“My sincere intent is not to provoke or cause division,” Mendenhall said. “My intent is to represent our city’s values and honor our dear diverse residents who make up this beautiful city and the legacy of pain and progress that they have endured.”
Under Utah’s new law, violators can face a fine of $500 per day for flying unauthorized flags on government property. Though Republican Governor Spencer Cox allowed the measure to become law without his signature, House Speaker Mike Schultz emphasized the goal is neutrality—not suppression.
“Salt Lake City should focus on real issues, not political theatrics,” Schultz said.
In neighboring Idaho, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean issued a proclamation last week that retroactively designates the Pride flag as an official city banner. While McLean did not comment directly to media outlets about the decision, she has previously opposed Idaho’s law and continued flying the Pride flag over city hall after it passed.
Both mayors reportedly spoke earlier this week about their responses to their respective state laws, though Salt Lake City spokesperson Andrew Wittenberg told Fox News that the moves were not coordinated in advance.
The actions by Salt Lake City and Boise represent a broader trend of local governments in progressive-leaning municipalities asserting symbolic autonomy, even in deeply red states. By designating symbolic flags as official city emblems, these cities toeing a thin line, using loopholes to work around these laws.
Critics argue that these symbolic gestures undermine the intended unity of national symbols. The American flag is meant to represent all citizens—regardless of background, orientation, or beliefs. By elevating flags tied to specific identities or causes, cities arguably encourage people to see themselves primarily through the lens of race, gender, or sexuality, rather than as citizens with a shared national identity. Rather than promoting inclusivity, the proliferation of separate flags may deepen social divisions by emphasizing what separates groups instead of what unites them under one flag and one country.
The controversy reflects a broader cultural clash between progressive municipalities and conservative state governments, with each side accusing the other of politicizing public space. As more states consider laws aimed at reinforcing political neutrality in government institutions, cities may continue to test legal boundaries through symbolic designations—turning public property into yet another battleground in America’s ongoing cultural divide.
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If they’re stupid enough to fly those flags, let them. It serves as a warning to any one with sense to stay away.