Project Rainbow Responds As Utah Bans Pride Flags in Schools, Government Property

A rally at the Utah State Capitol on November 19, 2024.

Utah became infamous today for being the first state to ban pride flags in schools and government buildings, a harmful move that seems obviously unconstitutional and ripe for a First Amendment legal challenge. 

This law is unequivocally bad policy and has a direct effect on Project Rainbow Utah, as we provide pride flags for pride festivals, events, and displays like the Trans Day of Remembrance memorial in downtown Salt Lake City each November. This bill will also complicate pride festivals and parades held in public parks and along public streets, while making it harder for educators to signal acceptance to students in their classrooms.

Gov. Cox declined to sign HB 77, noting the legislature had enough votes to override a veto, and called the law divisive. We agree this bill is divisive, but would like to offer another perspective on the governor’s comparison to MAGA flags. 

There are no headlines calling this bill a ban on MAGA flags because the bill’s sponsor has been crystal clear in vocalizing his disdain for pride flags in public places and his motivation for running this bill. We are unwilling to grant such bold-faced actions this smokescreen veneer. 

Further, we are deeply troubled by the comparison to MAGA flags, which signal a specific political affiliation. Pride flags represent a community that spans all political idealogies. 

The idea that to be LGBTQ+ is somehow a political position rather than an identity is fundamentally flawed. If LGBTQ+ Utahns are perceived as political, it is because we have built a society where we are supplicants who must debate our very right to exist. Project Rainbow believes in a world where LGBTQ+ Utahns are free to pursue their happiness, protected by the same inalienable rights this country was founded to enshrine as self-evident. 

Our flags are often stolen and vandalized, and this week, leading into Trans Day of Visibility, is no different—with several reports and videos of thefts. One video in West Valley City shows a group of young boys trashing a flag in broad daylight before throwing rocks at the home flying our flag.

We would like to invite adults across Utah, and especially our elected officials, to spend a moment of introspection and ask themselves: How did children this young learn to express disdain for their neighbors so casually? We invite all Utahns to join Project Rainbow in striving for a better and more inclusive world.