Florida and Tennessee Introduce Laws to Ban Pride Flags

Republican lawmakers in both Florida and Tennessee have introduced bills which, if passed, would ban the display of LGBTQ+ pride flags outside of government buildings or schools.

In Florida, Rep. David Borrero has introduced HB 901, which would prohibit local governments or affiliated organizations from flying any flag or banner representing a “social or political position,” including Pride flags. The bill claims that the government must “remain neutral in certain circumstances” —those circumstances including matters of sexuality or gender identities. It would also require the United States flag to be the most prominent among all flags displayed near a given property. In Tennessee, Rep. Gino Bulso proposed a similar measure in HB 1605, which would make it illegal for schools to display any flag other than the U.S. and Tennessee state flags.

According to the text of both bills, these measures are intended to prevent political bias or certain political symbols from influencing the states’ governments or youth. Interestingly, both Florida and Tennessee still celebrate Confederate speech and symbolism, which is undoubtedly political. Both bills would likely target many other symbols, including potentially iconography such as the Black Lives Matter flag. However, when asked what constitutes a “political” flag, Rep. Bulso did not respond, choosing instead to ramble about “sexual morality” and “dangerous transgender ideology.”

Displaying pride flags is widely considered a form of free speech, as the ACLU discussed in an open letter in February 2023. It could be argued that policies banning pride flags from schools and government buildings infringes upon the rights of teachers, government workers, and many others who use these facilities. Yet over the past few years, we’ve seen multiple states attempt to bury such displays wherever possible. Previous President Donald Trump even ordered U.S. embassies not to fly the rainbow flag during pride month, a move which President Joe Biden subsequently reversed.