There seems to be no end to the targeting of the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S. these days. Thankfully, these efforts to diminish the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community are receiving push back.
In Idaho, Boise’s official Pride flag was removed because a state law prohibits government entities displaying any flags other than approved flags such as the U.S. flag and official state flags. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean released a statement saying that while the city must comply with the new law, Boise’s core values remain unchanged. “Today, Governor Little signed HB 561 into law—a bill written with one purpose in mind: to prevent Boise from expressing our values by flying our official Pride flag, something we have done with the support of our community for more than a decade.”
The city of Loogootee, Indiana has been held in contempt after a second ACLU lawsuit over the city’s attempt to prevent an LGBTQ+ festival in its downtown. A judge in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Indiana ruled the city failed to comply with previous rulings that the city violated the organizer’s First Amendment rights.
And the Trump administration has agreed to return the Pride flag to the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. Hard Copy reported back in February that the administration had banned Pride flags from all National Parks Service properties which included the Stonewall flag. Court papers reveal that the government has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ and historic preservation groups seeking to block the removal.
