LGBT Senior’s News on the Positive Side by Cora Berke

News on the Positive Side- by Cora Berke

“An optimist sees rainbows when there is rain.”- Debasish Mridha

On March 31, 2026, Gov. Brad Little of Idaho picked up a proposed bill on his desk and signed it; the bill was HB561. HB561 revised which flags could be flown on government properties, which included the US, state, city, and military flags. It also revised which flags were now prohibited. If a prohibited flag continued to fly, there would be a $2,000 penalty per flag per day incurred by the city in which it was flown. The Pride flag flying at the Idaho Capitol State House in Boise was now prohibited by Bill HB561.

The next morning on April 1, 2026, Bill HB561 was passed by Idaho’s House of Representatives, and the Pride flag was removed by the city.

Shortly after the flag was taken down, Mayor Lauren McLean, the first woman to be elected Mayor in Boise, released a statement.

“We will continue to celebrate the vibrancy of our community, the diversity of our residents, and our North Star of being a safe and welcoming city for everyone. Because the law includes a substantial penalty – one that would ultimately fall on the taxpayers of Boise to shoulder—I decided to take down the city’s official Pride flag. But let me be clear: Boise’s values have not changed, and they are not defined by any single action taken at the State House.”

Joining in, City Council President Meredith Stead said, “The Pride flag is not a political statement. It is a symbol of heritage, welcome, and safety.” Council Member, Kathy Corloss, added, “Support for LGBTQ+ people does not begin or end with a flag. It lives in our communities, in our courage, and in our refusal to turn away from one another. We will stand openly, firmly, and without apology because love does not require permission from the state.”

Legally, the City of Boise could no longer fly the Pride flag at the State House, but the city budget did allow for an alternate way to represent Idaho’s LGBTQ+ community and continue to show their support. Mayor McLean purchased vinyl wraps for three flagpoles in front of City Hall in the colors of the Progress Pride flag. The Progress Pride flag adds the trans flag colors of blue, white, and pink to the original Pride colors, along with brown and black to represent LGBTQ+ people of color. In addition to the flagpole wraps, she added rainbow-colored lights and a sign in the window of City Hall which reads, “Creating a City for Everyone.”

Council member Colin Nash addressed the Council saying,” The flag is not our only form of expression.” City officials are classifying the rainbow wraps as artwork, which are in compliance with the law.

Since the installation of the flag wraps, there has been a lot of activity around the flagpoles. People are taking photos and opinions about them are on both sides, when interviewed by reporters. One resident remarked, “I just came down here to have a personal moment. That’s what’s important for the younger kids to see, older people like myself, to say “you’re ok to be yourself.”

As the rainbow wraps continue to shine in the Boise sun, Mayor McLean said, “We are and will continue to be a city for everyone.”