Boise Wraps Flagpoles in Rainbow After Pride Flag Ban

When Idaho threatened Boise with $2,000 daily fines for flying Pride flags on government property, city officials took the flags down but refused to stay silent.

The law, signed by Governor Brad Little in March 2025, bans Pride and other non-government flags from state and local buildings. Republican State Rep. Ted Hill championed the bill, which allows the attorney general to sue cities that don't comply.

Boise removed its Pride flags the same day the governor signed the bill. But within days, rainbow displays started appearing across city buildings in creative new forms.

Thick rainbow stripes now wrap around flagpoles outside government buildings, mirroring the colors of the Progress Pride flag. Large white signs with rainbow stripes and the phrase "creating a city for everyone" fill City Hall windows. Colorful lights in blues, pinks, and purples illuminate official buildings at night.

City spokesperson Maria Ortega confirmed Boise funded all the displays from its existing operating budget. The window signs and flagpole wraps cost just under $6,000, while the lights required no additional money.

"The Pride flag is not a political statement. It is a symbol of heritage, welcome and safety," Boise City Council President Meredith Stead said in a statement. "We are taking it down because the law forces us to, but our commitment to every person who has looked at that flag and felt seen does not waver for a single moment."

Why This Inspires

For LGBTQ+ residents like hairdresser Ryan James Lee-Goodman, these acts of creative resistance send a powerful message. "You can order a flag down, but you cannot make people disappear," Lee-Goodman wrote online. "You can pass cowardly laws, but you cannot force dignity back into the closet."

City officials made clear they're just getting started. Boise council member Colin Nash told residents on the day the flags came down that the flag wasn't their only form of expression. He said he's excited to see what both the city and community create as new ways to show solidarity.

While State Rep. Hill criticized the displays, calling City Hall "some activist Pride Hall," city leaders remain committed to welcoming all residents. Boise stays fully compliant with the law while finding new ways to express its values.