Students wrap PC Hill in pride colors to protest Utah flag ban

PARK CITY, Utah — Breakfast, rainbow pins, and a hillside awash in color greeted Park City High School commuters Wednesday as students staged a pre‑dawn “Rainbow Breakfast” potluck to protest Utah’s new ban on Pride flags in public schools.

“We wanted a highly visible demonstration—something nobody could ignore,” teacher Edward Potts said.

Potts, adviser to the school’s Gay‑Straight Alliance, said about a dozen students and family members wrapped the 25‑foot “P & C” letters on PC Hill with weather‑resistant paper Tuesday night, then returned at 7 a.m. to host a parking‑lot breakfast. Roughly 60 students, parents, and community members attended.

“The kids hiked up PC Hill four times, measuring the letters so they knew exactly how much material to buy,” Potts said. “Our biggest fear was backlash—maybe even violent. We just didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

The gathering coincided with House Bill 77, which bars Pride and other non‑official flags from classrooms and government property. Faculty and students responded by pressing hundreds of button‑back rainbow pins earlier this week. “With the pins and other symbols, we’re pushing as close to the legal line as we can,” Potts said.

Potts acknowledged that line can be perilous for educators. “Any parent can file a complaint and trigger a state investigation, even if their claim is inaccurate,” he said, recalling a months‑long Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission probe last summer, in which he needed to hire a lawyer, after a parent objected to his use of To Kill a Mockingbird. “It sucked up my summer,” he added. “I don’t want these kids or my colleagues living under that kind of cloud.”

Despite those concerns, Potts said the outpouring of support was striking. “Many of the most enthusiastic supporters aren’t even GSA members; they’re allies saying, ‘These are our friends, and they belong here.’”

Virginia Solomon, president of the nonprofit Summit Pride Foundation, praised the students’ resolve. “Summit Pride congratulates the GSA for standing up and showing that LGBTQ+ people are here, worthy of celebration, and won’t be silenced,” Solomon said. “These brave students give us confidence that Park City will remain a place where everyone belongs. We look forward to partnering with these students, drawing inspiration from their energy as we work to keep Park City welcoming for all.”

Solomon also urged residents and businesses to join the group’s “Raise the Flag” campaign. “Every day our LGBTQ+ community helps make Park City an amazing place” they said.

Potts emphasized that the initiative was “entirely student‑driven.”

“If the community backs them and sees the good they’re doing, everyone wins,” he said.