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The Resistance Brief: This week in the fight for justice

Really? Rainbow Flags? 

Blog by Ricardo Martinez (he/him), Executive Director

I was recently asked to take part in a flag raising ceremony to commemorate Pride Month. I’ve agreed to attend the event because showcasing a city’s commitment to the values of liberty and progress reminds me of the future we are co-creating right now. Raising the Pride flag is a celebration of the sacrifices made on behalf of equality and justice by those who came before me and a reminder that there is still much to be done to safeguard that progress – including fighting for the ability to display this symbol of hope, promise, and expression. 

I was not out and proud in high school. But classmates who were part of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) were, and the pins, flags, and t-shirt they wore made me feel that if I could muster up the courage to say the words, I’m gay, that I would have community who would welcome me.  

As an adult, I came to understand the power that visual signals have in communicating messages of hope, inclusion, respect, and belonging. As someone who has worked at various organizations that focus on school belonging, education equity, and post-secondary education attainment, I have learned that supportive adults, the existence of GSA clubs and inclusive curriculum help queer kids feel valued and respected. An ally educator displaying a pride flag can make the difference on whether a queer kid feels out of place and misunderstood or seen and validated.

Having a sense of belonging increases queer students’ class attendance, participation in extracurricular activities, and educational aspirations. This is why it’s so alarming that lawmakers from more than a dozen states across the country have prioritized trying to ban the display of Pride flags in schools. These attacks on symbols of affirmation and inclusion for queer and trans youth come on the heels of efforts to ban books, intimidate LGBTQ+ teachers to remain in the closet, and out queer kids to their parents. The result is schools that feel much less welcoming to LGBTQ+ young people.

The bans are especially tragic at this time when LGBTQ+ kids – especially transgender and nonbinary youth – are being scapegoated for political gain and need symbols of hope and affirmation more than ever.   

Moonlighting as an effort to achieve political neutrality – even as the very nature of these restrictions on free speech are politically motivated – lawmakers have escalated local efforts. So-called “parent’s rights” groups like Moms for Liberty are leading attempts to ban flags and symbols of inclusion in school districts across the country, and even in more progressive states like California and Massachusetts. Some have been adopted despite robust public debate, while others have been defeated.  

Utah was the first state to limit the display of flags at schools and government buildings. Only an approved list including the United States flag, military flag, college, and state flags can be displayed without consequence. The law imposes a $500 a day fine on government employees who choose to display any flag not on the approved list – including the Pride flag. The law also encourages school staff to act as informants to enforce the law – pitting school staff against each other and holding harmless the reporting party – further emboldening vigilante actors with animus against the community.

Cunning, clever, and vague language within legislation that avoids outright biased text but accomplishes discriminatory goals is a part of the strategy. But when you look at the witness list and recognize the organizations who are showing up in support of bills like this it’s easy to recognize the target: the LGBTQ+ community. The same organizations showing up to testify in support of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills have shown up to testify in support of these flag ban bills. In Utah, 72% of testifiers were against the bill. In Arizona 88% of people opposed it. And in Texas 93% of witnesses disapproved of the bill.  

These are not popular policies and yet they are being championed and prioritized by far-right lawmakers who are looking to import and implement attacks on LGBTQ+ people and limits on free speech from Washington D.C. In Wisconsin, the bill was introduced shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent similar guidance to U.S. embassies – effectively banning the Pride flag in U.S. consulates abroad.

And while copy-cat flag ban bills continue to pop up in state legislatures, their success is not imminent. Florida’s HB 75/SB 100 which aimed to ban Pride flags from government buildings, schools and universities recently failed, thanks in part to Equality Florida’s effort to mobilize their largest advocacy week ever. It was people power that determined the fate of this bill.

Many folks are looking for a way to join the resistance against the myriad of attacks on our community right now. As local organizations and groups have proven, community engagement on this issue can create the pushback necessary to stall these poorly disguised attempts to reduce our visibility and demoralize us. In our town and cities, we have agency, and we have collective power to build the future we deserve.

Banning Pride flags does not achieve political neutrality – it infringes upon, sets a dangerous precedent, and undermines our civil rights and expression.

What to know, what to do: 

• Read about how mayors in Boise and Salt Lake City have adopted official city flags with affirming symbols to allow their display in city buildings despite state laws designed to ban them.  
• Find us at your local Pride in the coming months – come say hi or march with us at Boston Pride for the People!   
• Check out our website to start, grow, or strengthen your GSA with youth-centered resources and rights info. 
• Check out your town or city election calendar – many local elections are held “off-cycle,” including in May or June – and pay close attention to local races with big impact, including School Committee/Board and City Council.  

Read more editions of the Resistance Brief.