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Mayor proposes ordinance to adopt four official Salt Lake City flags — sago lily, Juneteenth, Pride and transgender visibility designs
Summary
The mayor presented an ordinance to make four Salt Lake City flags official — the existing sago lily design plus three new sago‑canton variants representing Juneteenth/Black celebration, LGBTQIA Pride and transgender visibility — and framed the proposal in light of recent state legislation narrowing flags cities may display.
Salt Lake City's mayor presented an ordinance proposal to formally adopt four official city flags: the sago‑lily flag previously adopted by resolution and three new Salt Lake City sago‑canton flags that combine the sago lily with designs representing Juneteenth/Black celebration, LGBTQIA Pride and transgender visibility.
The mayor opened by recalling the 2020 redesign process and the adoption of a sago‑lily flag, which the administration uses as a recognizable city emblem. "A good flag has the ability to unite the city that works under it and personify the people that live in that city that it represents," the mayor said. He then described recent state House Bill 77, which narrows flags that municipalities may display publicly unless they meet statutory exemptions. The mayor said the city will comply with state law while ensuring the city's symbols represent residents' values.
The four flags proposed in the ordinance are: - The existing Salt Lake City sago‑lily flag previously adopted by resolution (blue field, white sago lily in the canton). - A Salt Lake City Juneteenth/Black celebration flag that combines the sago lily with a bursting star, an arc and red color to represent the end of slavery and Black excellence. - A Salt Lake City Pride / "belonging" flag that adds a rainbow field plus forward arrow colors (black, brown and trans colors) combined with the sago lily in the canton. - A Salt Lake City trans visibility flag that combines the sago lily with the pink, blue and white stripes of the transgender pride flag.
Why it matters: the mayor framed the proposal as an effort to symbolize the city’s values of belonging, acceptance, diversity, equity and inclusion and to give residents visible civic symbols that local government recognizes. The mayor said the sago lily mark in the canton of each design makes clear each flag specifically represents Salt Lake City.
What the council did: the proposal was presented at the work session and placed on the formal meeting agenda for action; no formal council adoption occurred at the work session.
Ending: the ordinance to codify the four flags will be considered at the council's formal meeting; if adopted questions about display policy, schedule and compliance with state law will be decided by the council and city administration.
