The Flag Wars continue. Mayor Lauren McLean continues to fly the LGBTQ+ pride flag in front of Boise City hall, defying House Bill 96. With state legislators indicating they will support measures to withhold sales tax revenues from Boise next year should this defiance continue, McLean is poised to escalate the conflict even further.
She has placed a resolution on the City Council agenda for May 6 that would declare the pride flag an official city flag, thereby making it legal under the wording of the new law:
According to CBS 2, Mayor McLean has been receiving pro bono legal support as she challenges H96.
Why are McLean and her supporters fighting so hard to fly a flag that ostensibly represents just 5-7% of the population? Because they understand the power of symbols. While McLean claims the flag is meant to be “inclusive,” she surely knows it also represents a deliberate exclusion of those who do not support the promotion of homosexual or transgender lifestyles. Just look at the online savaging of author J.K. Rowling for daring to say that men are not women.
As symbols, flags carry tremendous power. Consider the iconic image of Marines raising Old Glory on Iwo Jima in World War II. Today, the rainbow flag has become synonymous with a particular ideological movement. Flags are used to mark territory, and flying the rainbow flag over Idaho’s largest city sends a clear message: the blue team is here, and they intend to expand their territory.
Part of me is glad to see the mayor double down. Many Republicans go out of their way to avoid the culture war, preferring to focus on taxes and water rights. While those are important, the battle over cultural issues isn’t going away. The militant left will keep advancing until there’s nothing left of our society. The sooner we band together and push back, the better. McLean’s actions may finally force Republicans to realize that even if they aren’t interested in the culture war, the culture war is very much interested in them.
Mark your calendars for May 6, 2025 at 6:00pm when the Boise City Council intends to pass this resolution and take the culture war to a new level.
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About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
