California City Votes to Ban All Pride, Non-US Flags on City Property
Voters in Huntington Beach, California, known for its conservative leanings, have approved Measure B, a proposal restricting the display of non-government flags on city property. The measure, authored by City Councilman Pat Burns, garnered majority support during Super Tuesday voting, according to the county's registrar website.
Measure B will prohibit the flying of flags representing causes such as breast cancer awareness, LGBTQ Pride, the Confederate flag, and any non-U.S. flags on city property. Burns clarified in an interview with Fox News Digital that the intention behind the measure was not to discriminate against any particular group but to foster unity among residents under a shared American identity. However, the primary backlash has come from LGBTQ advocates.
Burns expressed his opposition to what he sees as divisive identity politics, stating, “I’m against the identity politics; I think it’s divisive. I think it’s demeaning, to be honest, that flag, that I find is so insulting to LGBTQ. And I know that they support it, but in my mind, it’s demeaning that they need some kind of special recognition to feel like they’re part of our community. People are equal, and those kinds of things are divisive.”
The city previously flew the rainbow flag during Pride month for the past two years, according to Burns. He noted that it wasn't a prominent feature of the city's aesthetics before the measure.
Under the new measure, only the U.S. flag, the State of California flag, the County of Orange flag, the City of Huntington Beach flag, the POW-MIA flag, the six Armed Forces flags, and the Olympic flag during the Summer Olympic Games are permitted to be displayed on city property.
“I love differing opinions. I love checks and balances. That’s what makes us so great that we can have different voices, in society, but I just don’t think it’s our place as a city government, like, to play those identity politics,” Burns remarked.
Critics of the measure, including Peg Coley, the executive director of the LGBTQ Center Orange County, accused the Huntington Beach City Council of being "run by a hateful majority" and pursuing an "agenda of intolerance for minority communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals."
Despite the passage of Measure B, the council retains the authority to approve the display of specific flags through a unanimous vote. Notably, a city in Michigan banned Pride flags on city property last year, and several cities in New York and Connecticut implemented similar policies in 2022.