We had not even gotten through the first week of the new year before facing another ban in our public and private schools. This time from our prejudice-filled, hate-filled MAGA Republican supermajority Legislature. This is a repeat from last year, by Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, whose bill HB77 would ban pride flags from any school organization in the state.
Instead of letting the schools do what they are being paid to do, which is teaching, this bill will threaten teachers with lawsuits if they do just that! In this case, teaching the history of what the pride flag represents and its history of supporting people of color or people with AIDS or of different races. The flag’s history, going back to the late ‘70s in San Francisco, with the “rainbow flag” and its 6-colored stripes (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet) displayed as in nature’s own rainbows. Its relationship to the “brotherhood flag,” with five colored stripes representing the different races on this planet.
The history and influences of these flags, including Judy Garland’s support and song, “Over the Rainbow,” or the Rolling Stones song, “She’s a Rainbow.” Even in current history, in 2015, just before Trump entered politics, the Museum of Modern Art added the pride flag symbol to its Design Collection series. Also, in 2015, when the colored lights, representing the rainbow flag were used to illuminate the White House, commemorating the passage of same sex marriages in all the 50-states.
Schools used to be known for teaching history, again, prior to Trump and his MAGA philosophy taking over the Republican Party.
Now, history, if taught at all in schools, deals more with less information, at best, and misinformation if you’re lucky enough to live in a state such as Utah — with a Republican supermajority in the Legislature (80% Republican and 20% Democrat).
Robert Hoff, Taylorsville
