Park City considers request to display Main Street Pride banners as state’s flag ban kicks in

The local nonprofit Summit Pride Foundation, which advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, is asking the Park City Council to show its support during Pride Month in two specific ways.

One asks the city to place Pride banners on Main Street light poles, as it's historically done. The other would affix decals saying “Ride with Pride” to city buses, which was also done last year. The city council is scheduled to consider the request at its meeting May 15.

HB77, which was passed by state lawmakers earlier this year, took effect Wednesday. The legislation bars all public schools and other government buildings from flying any non-sanctioned flags, including rainbow flags which are widely associated with LGBTQ+ pride.

Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, sponsored the bill and said the measure is about maintaining political neutrality in public spaces.

Lee told KPCW Thursday that banners comply with the new law, as they are not flags. But he said Park City’s potential moves are an attempt to “subvert” HB77, which imposes a $500 per day fine on violators. Lee said state lawmakers could consider prohibiting banners.

Park City officials previously said they were exploring the legal ramifications of the new law.

Summit Pride is planning its own strategy to push back on the flag ban.

Board member Virginia Solomon said they invite residents and businesses to go to their website to sign up and receive a Pride flag.

“Our plan, through this ‘Raise The Flag’ initiative, is to flood the Wasatch Back with rainbows,” Solomon said. “We invite individuals – at private residences, at businesses, at nonprofits – to fly Pride flags so that you can’t even notice that they aren’t being flown on municipal property.”

Park City has historically held a Pride flag raising ceremony at Miners Park in June, but there are no plans for such an event this year.

Solomon said they were proud of Park City High School students who draped PC Hill in rainbow colors Wednesday morning.

“We love to see future leaders taking these leadership steps to make sure that they don’t let the state silence them and their freedom of speech and their right to assert that they exist and deserve to be celebrated,” they said.

In the hours before HB77 became law, the Salt Lake City Council adopted an ordinance to create three new city flags mirroring its traditional Sego Lily flag.

The three designs include the rainbow Pride flag, the blue and pink transgender rights flag, and another celebrating the history of Juneteenth.

Lee responded to Salt Lake City’s move on X, writing: “Does Salt Lake City really want to play these games? Good luck.”

Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.