Salt Lake City preserves LGBTQIA+ and Juneteenth flags by making them official

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall stands in a City Hall corridor Tuesday after the council vote, framed by (from left) the Sego Belonging, Sego Celebration, Sego Visibility and original Sego Lily flags—now all official city emblems ahead of Utah’s new flag-display law. Photo: Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Determined to keep Pride, Juneteenth, and transgender banners flying on city property despite a new statewide flag‑display limit, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and other leaders on Tuesday added three human‑rights designs to the capital’s official flag lineup. The move circumvents the limitations set by Utah House Bill 77, which bans the display of pride flags in K-12 classrooms and government buildings.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve:

• Sego Celebration Flag — honoring the city’s Black and African American community and the history of Juneteenth.
• Sego Belonging Flag — a rainbow‑striped banner representing LGBTQIA residents.
• Sego Visibility Flag — echoing the pink, blue and white stripes of the transgender flag.

Each design features the trademark white sego lily canton from the city’s 2020 blue‑and‑white flag, linking the new emblems to Salt Lake City’s existing brand.

“Our city flags are powerful symbols,” Mayor  Mendenhall said in an official statement on the mayor’s website. “I want all Salt Lakers to look up and know we stand for diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Council Chair Chris Wharton said the additions “affirm that everyone belongs here,” noting they comply with House Bill 77, which takes effect Wednesday. The law restricts most flags on government property to those on a short exempt list that includes U.S., Utah, and local government flags. By designating the three banners as official municipal emblems, Salt Lake City can keep displaying them legally.

Versions of the Pride, transgender and Juneteenth flags have flown at City Hall throughout Mendenhall’s tenure. Tuesday’s vote writes them into city code, putting them on equal footing with the original Sego Lily flag. All four city flags will continue to fly alongside the American and Utah flags.

After a public redesign contest, Salt Lake City adopted its current sego lily flag in 2020. Officials say the wildflower, resilient in harsh mountain climates, —mirrors the capital’s spirit and its commitment to residents who “look up and see themselves represented,” even as new state rules narrow what may fly above them.