“Utah’s Controversial New Bill: Why Are Pride Flags Banned While Nazi and Confederate Flags Get a Pass?”
In an increasingly polarized landscape, the fight over whether pride flags should fly in Utah’s schools and government buildings has taken a sharp turn. Recently, Rep. Trevor Lee introduced a bill that not only aims to ban pride flags in educational institutions but expands this prohibition to all government properties. Now, we’re left to ponder—what’s next? Are we preparing to rewrite our flag etiquette while also permitting educational displays of symbols like the Confederate and Nazi flags? The bill, HB77, promises a rather curious selection of “approved” flags, sparking debates that go far beyond simple aesthetics. As we dive into this growing controversy, it begs the question—are history and pride being juxtaposed, or will this legislation merely wave goodbye to inclusivity? To discover more about this contentious issue, LEARN MORE.
“An ongoing fight in Utah to ban pride flags in schools entered new territory Thursday after Rep. Trevor Lee proposed new legislation to ban the flags not just in public schools, but in any government building or on any government property.
The bill, HB77, originally applied only to schools. But an update to the bill released ahead of Thursday’s House Education Committee hearing expands the ban to all government buildings or property. The updated bill was favorably recommended by the committee, with the committee’s two Democrats — Reps. Sahara Hayes and Carol Moss — casting the only “nays.” It will now be heard on the full House floor.
Approved flags for display in government buildings and schools would include the Utah state and U.S. flags, military flags, flags for other countries, flags for Native American tribes and official flags for colleges and universities. The bill also allows for the flying of a “historic version of a flag … that is temporarily displayed for educational purposes,” which Lee, R-Layton, said would include the Confederate and Nazi flags.
When he first introduced the bill, Lee said on the social media platform X that his goal was to ban pride flags. But Nazi and Confederate flags, he told the committee Thursday, would be included in the approved flags. “There are instances where in classrooms, you have curriculum that is needed to use flags such as World War II, Civil War,” he said. “You may have a Nazi flag. You may have a Confederate flag, and so you are allowed to display those flags… as part of the curriculum, and that is okay.”
In a phone call Thursday night, Lee disputed that he ever said a Nazi flag could be displayed, and argued that would not be allowed under his bill.
”There is a difference between displaying flags in curriculum when you’re teaching on them,” he said. “You don’t censor history here. That’s not what we’re doing.” – Sltrib.com | Posted by Thrillz
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