Could the LGBTQ+ Pride flag become an official Boise flag? City weighs the change
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has added a new line of attack in her showdown with the state’s legislators and attorney general over the city’s display of an LGBTQ+ Pride flag outside City Hall.
Gov. Brad Little in April signed into law a bill that banned cities from displaying non-“official” flags, including the U.S. flag and the Idaho state flag, on government property. The law bars Boise from displaying its Pride flag outside City Hall, where it has flown for years.
But McLean has refused to take down the flag despite protests and a letter of rebuke from Attorney General Raul Labrador. She argues that because the law has no provision for enforcement, she is not committing a crime by continuing to fly the flag.
Damon Sidur, a spokesperson for Labrador, told the Idaho Statesman that “the mayor and her legal team do not understand the requirements of state law.”
On Friday, McLean’s office announced in a news release that the City Council would consider a resolution “confirming” that the flags flown at City Hall — including the Pride flag — are official city flags and therefore in compliance with the law.
“The flags the city flies are an expression of our values and responsibilities, which include a commitment to equality, inclusion, and civic pride,” Council President Colin Nash said in the release. “This is our lawful expression of our dedication to ensuring all members of our community feel seen, respected, and welcome.”
McLean also said local attorneys had volunteered to provide free legal representation to the city if “any legal action is taken against the city on this matter.” That could quell criticism that McLean might require taxpayers to pay for an expensive legal battle.
The announcement comes after weeks of public back-and-forth between McLean and state officials over the flag’s display. Labrador posted his open letter to McLean online, urging her to take down the flag and warning her that lawmakers were already considering ways to add enforcement provisions to the bill during next year’s legislative session.
In late April, McLean responded with an open letter of her own, accusing the state of “acting in bad faith” if it imposes civil or criminal penalties on the city for continuing to fly the flag.
“The constitutional rights of our residents are not subject to — cannot be subject to — the political whims of legislative disapproval,” McLean wrote in her letter, “and we will not step back from them simply because the principles our community cherishes make some in state government uncomfortable.”
Boise’s City Council is set to vote on the resolution Tuesday. Its meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 4:35 PM.
