Salt Lake City, Utah, unveiled a creative response to a new state law restricting the display of non-official flags on government property.

The city council, led by Mayor Erin Mendenhall, unanimously adopted three new official city flags incorporating designs inspired by the LGBTQ+ Pride flag, the transgender flag, and the Juneteenth flag.

This move, which integrates the city’s sego lily emblem into each design, allows Salt Lake City to legally display these banners despite Utah’s House Bill 77 (HB77), which took effect on May 7, 2025, banning “non-sanctioned” flags at public schools and government buildings.

Background: Utah’s Flag Restriction Law

Earlier in 2025, Utah’s Republican-controlled legislature passed HB77, which limits flags flown on government property to those explicitly approved, such as the U.S. flag, Utah state flag, municipal flags, and certain others like tribal or military flags.

The law effectively prohibits symbols like the rainbow Pride flag, transgender flag, and Juneteenth flag, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

Supporters of the ban, including bill sponsor Rep. Trevor Lee (R-Layton), argued it promotes “political neutrality” in public spaces. Critics, however, including LGBTQ+ advocates, labeled it as government overreach aimed at suppressing expressions of diversity and inclusion.

Governor Spencer Cox, while allowing the bill to become law without his signature, expressed mixed feelings, noting its neutral application to all non-approved flags (including, for example, MAGA flags) but questioning its effectiveness in ensuring classroom neutrality.

In a strategic maneuver, Salt Lake City designated three new flags as official municipal emblems, placing them on equal footing with the existing sego lily flag adopted in 2020. The new flags include:

Sego Belonging Flag: Incorporates the Progress Pride flag’s rainbow stripes, representing the LGBTQ+ community.

Sego Visibility Flag: Features the blue, pink, and white colors of the transgender flag.

Sego Celebration Flag: Reflects the red, blue, and starburst design of the Juneteenth flag, honoring Black and African American residents.

By adding the sego lily—a symbol already present on the city’s primary flag—Salt Lake City ensured compliance with HB77, which permits official municipal flags.

The council’s decision, supported by a majority of members who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, was framed as a commitment to the city’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Mayor Mendenhall emphasized that the flags are “powerful symbols” reflecting the city’s identity and unity.

“I want all Salt Lakers to look up at these flags and be reminded that we value diversity, equity, and inclusion—leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, moving forward together,” she said in a statement.