All-the-Colors

When you think that your fitted sheet is asking a personal question….

Republicans across the country are trying to ban Pride flags from government buildings and schools. They're learning that q***r people and their allies are very good at finding loopholes.

Utah was first. The state now fines any government building $500 a day for flying an unapproved flag. Idaho followed with its own ban. Montana passed one too. At least eight other Republican-controlled states are considering similar legislation.

But they forgot we're a clever and resourceful community.

Salt Lake City adopted four new official city flags the day before Utah's ban took effect, including modified versions of the Progress Pride and Trans Pride flags, each containing an image of the state flower, the Sego lily. Technically compliant, but totally rainbow.

Boise tried the same move, making the Pride flag an official city flag. So Idaho Republicans came back and passed a second law specifically targeting cities that did exactly that, imposing fines of $2,000 per flag per day. The sponsor called Boise's defiance "a tone of anarchy." It's all Mad Max Beyond Boise over in Idaho apparently...

Boise took the flags down. Then they wrapped the flagpoles themselves in thick rainbow stripes. City officials said the wraps are not flags and are in full compliance with the law. The legislator who wrote the ban looked at photos of the rainbow-wrapped poles and said, "That's fine," because what else could he do?

In Montana, Missoula voted to make the Pride flag its only official city flag. The governor called it divisive. Missoula doesn't appear to care what a small-minded bigot thinks.

You can pass cowardly laws. You cannot make people disappear.

The Trump administration agreed Monday to keep flying a rainbow Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument, reversing course after removing the banner in February.

You are valid, and your stories matter.