May 6, 2025
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed adopting three new City flags, in addition to the traditional Sego Lily Flag, on Tuesday to most accurately reflect the values of the City and its residents. The Salt Lake City Council adopted the flags via ordinance in its formal meeting.
The three additional city flags celebrating human rights include:
- The Sego Celebration Flag, representing the history of Juneteenth and the City’s Black and African American residents;
- The Sego Belonging Flag, representing the City’s LGBTQIA residents and broader acceptance of this community; and
- The Sego Visibility Flag, representing the City’s transgender residents and a commitment to seeing and celebrating their lives.
“Our City flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City’s values,” said Mendenhall. “I want all Salt Lakers to look up at these flags and be reminded that we value diversity, equity and inclusion—leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, moving forward together.”
House Bill 77, passed during the 2025 legislative session, narrowed the types of flags a city can display publicly on government property unless a flag meets the criteria outlined in the bill as an “exempted flag.” It was important to the Mendenhall administration that the City work within the constraints of recent legislation while continuing to uphold Salt Lake City’s values.
“Like other civic symbols, these flags reflect our shared humanity and the values that help everyone feel they belong—no matter their background, orientation or beliefs,” said Salt Lake City Council Chair Chris Wharton. “While the state has restricted which flags public buildings can fly, I’m glad we can still uphold our community’s values within the law.”
The three new flags were chosen because versions of them have been consistently displayed at City Hall during Mayor Mendenhall’s time in office and are representative of our community’s diverse, loving, and accepting values.
In all three flags, the sego lily in the upper corner of these designs is the City’s most recognized emblem, clearly identifying that each flag is representative of Salt Lake City specifically.
In 2020, Salt Lake City adopted its current flag following a community-driven redesign: a field of blue over white with a white sego lily with three petals in the upper hoist canton. Salt Lake City is the only state capital with a three-word name. Despite the harsh environmental climate it lives in, the sego lily is a symbol of resilience, exemplifying Salt Lake City and its residents. Over the past five years, the sego lily and the City’s flag have grown to be highly recognized symbols and sources of pride in the city.
The City flags will continue to fly alongside the State of Utah and American flags.
Tags: Diversity, Flags, HB77, human rights, Juneteenth, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Pride, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City Council, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, sego lily flag, Transgender
