SALT LAKE CITY, UT – A newly-proposed state bill, House Bill 77 (HB77), has fueled a heated debate over free speech and discrimination in Utah, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Salt Lake Tribune explains the legislation seeks to ban Pride flags in public schools and government buildings while permitting the display of Nazi and Confederate flags in certain instances.
Under the proposed bill, authored by Rep. Trevor Lee, only specific flags would be permitted for display in government buildings and schools, including the Utah state and U.S. flags, military flags, flags of other countries, Native American tribal flags, and official college and university flags, stated The Salt Lake Tribune.
The bill also makes an exception for “historic versions of a flag” that may be displayed temporarily for educational purposes—a category that, according to Rep. Lee, would include Confederate and Nazi flags, reports The Salt Lake Tribune.
Lee told the SLC Tribune, “We are starting to see increasingly more hostile-type interactions between different political factions that we have within our society, and that is no different than what we’re starting to see a lot within our education system.
“There is a difference between displaying flags in curriculum when you’re teaching on them… You don’t censor history here. That’s not what we’re doing.”
The Salt Lake Tribune noted, in its coverage, parents, students, and advocates weighed in on the legislation, with some arguing that Pride flags were offensive and others emphasizing the harm the ban could cause to LGBTQ+ youth.
The SLC Tribune quoted Millie Dworkin, a senior at Salt Lake Center for Science Education, who said during public testimony “this ban is unconstitutional and only serves as a means of control over the people. You all argue semantics, but you all know this is wrong and immoral. Queer people commit suicide at a higher rate than everybody else.
“This is not because they are inherently prone to commit suicide due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is because of how they are treated. If you pass this, you will have queer blood on your hands.”
The Salt Lake Tribune wrote that Aaron Bullen, a Lehi resident, testified in favor of the legislation, and said his 10-year-old son had been offended after a pride flag was hung in his school computer lab.
Bullen commented, said the Tribune, “The Pride flag sends a clear message about marriage. It also sends a message about gender, that a boy can become a girl and a girl can become a boy. This message conflicts with my family’s religious beliefs.”
The Salt Lake Tribune reports, during a committee hearing, Rep. Lee defended his bill by arguing schools should be a place of learning, not a place where political agendas are pushed, stating, “Our schools should be a place for children to learn, to not feel like they are being pushed or seen as agendas in one way or another as it pertains to political beliefs.”
Lee added, “There are instances where in classrooms, you have curriculum that is needed to use flags such as World War II, Civil War. 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.”
The Salt Lake Tribune noted the push to ban Pride flags follows a failed attempt during last year’s legislative session, when Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton proposed a bill that sought to list approved flags for display in government spaces.
The bill, stated The Salt Lake Tribune, was introduced in the final hours of the session, and ultimately failed in a 9-2 Senate vote.
“Utah Bill May Ban Pride Flags, but Allow Nazi and Confederate Flags”
Isn’t that a bit overblown, considering the article states the second would only be for temporary display for historic teaching purposes?
“If you pass this, you will have queer blood on your hands.”
Isn’t that a bit overblown from the left?
“his 10-year-old son had been offended after a pride flag was hung in his school computer lab . . . ”
Isn’t that a bit overblown from the right?
No political agendas should be displayed in schools — not from the right, not from the left.