200-foot rainbow banner unfurled at capitol as GOP bans Pride flags on government land

Big rainbow flag being carried – Pride March
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Hundreds of demonstrators unfurled a 200-foot rainbow banner in front of the Utah state capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday in protest of a H.B. 77, bill that would ban rainbow and transgender Pride flags as well as other “non-sanctioned” flags from schools and other government property. In solidarity, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall also lit up the City/County Building in rainbow colors last Friday.

The state’s Republican-led legislature already passed the bill in a 49-20 House vote and a 21-8 Senate vote. State Gov. Spencer Cox (R) has indicated that he won’t veto the bill. While it’s unclear how many other states or local governments have passed similar bills, the U.S. Departments of Defense, State and Veterans Affairs under President Donald Trump have all recently issued directives forbidding the flying of Pride flags from government buildings, military installations and foreign embasssies.

The protest was reportedly organized in under 24 hours by the Utah Pride Center, a Salt Lake City-based LGBTQ+ community center that also provided the 200-foot flag.

The Utah bill only allows staff members on government property to fly…

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