Trend of Montana cities adopting Pride flags continues

Jordan Hansen

(Daily Montanan) A second Montana town has adopted the Pride Flag as its city flag in an effort to circumvent a state law passed this past session.

In a 4-1 vote, the Bozeman City Commission adopted the Pride flag and its variants as the town’s city flag last week during a meeting on July 15, joining Missoula in adopting the symbol as an official flag.

“This is not just a controversial effort to raise the pride flag. It’s a decision about whether or not to permanently take it down,” Bozeman commissioner Emma Bode said prior to the vote. “Our state legislators mounted a systematic attack on the LGBTQ+ community this legislative session with a particular focus on eroding the rights of trans youth.”

Discussion on the topic lasted for several hours with numerous people both for and against the Pride flag being adopted. Some residents pointed to the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, or Gadsden flag, being specifically allowed under the law.

“We would remind the commission that the queer community did not pick this fight,” Jason Baide, the board chair of Queer Bozeman, a civil rights group, told the commission last week. “The flag has been flown on the city property since 2021 in an effort to acknowledge the struggles and celebrations of our community. However, with the recent passing of HB 819, our community is once again in the crosshairs of the state legislatures as they aim to erase and further marginalize us while riddled with other hypocrisies.”

The move continued a trend of cities pushing back against a bill crafted by Columbia Falls Republican Braxton Mitchell, a rising star in the state party.

Mitchell’s legislation, HB 819, sought to limit political expression on state property, which includes schools. The law also says any city flag could be flown, creating something of a loophole, which cities in other states with similar laws have also found. If a town adopted a Pride flag as its official flag, any government agency could fly it.