The Utah State Legislature approved a measure that bans the display of all but approved flags in schools and government buildings, a divisive move that civil rights groups have said will undermine free expression for L.G.B.T.Q. people and their supporters.
The measure, which became law on Thursday, allows only flags explicitly exempt from the ban — including the United States flag, the Utah state flag and military flags — to be displayed. Other flags, such as the Pride flag and those supporting political causes, will be barred from being flown at government buildings.
The new law is one of the most restrictive passed by a state to govern the display of flags, in what has become a polarizing debate largely focused on the Pride flag and other expressions of L.G.B.T.Q. support.
Other states, such as Idaho, have passed restrictions on the display of flags in schools, while lawmakers in Florida are considering similar proposals. Supporters of the measure have framed it as a way to make schools and government buildings less political.
“Tax payer funded entities shouldn’t be promoting political agendas,” Trevor Lee, a Republican lawmaker who sponsored the bill, said on social media on Friday. “This is a massive win for Utah.”
In a letter on Thursday, Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, said he had “serious concerns” about the bill. He said he had allowed it to become law without his signature because his veto would have been overridden.
“Parents are rightly upset when they bring their kids to publicly funded schools and see culture-war symbols in a place that should be apolitical,” he said, adding that he supported “political neutrality” in classrooms.
Under the law, flags representing any political affiliations would be banned, but Mr. Lee has previously singled out Pride flags. Violations of the law, which is effective on May 7, would result in a $500 daily fine.
Rights groups in Utah have protested the bill, calling it an attempt to repress political disagreement and self-expression.
The Utah Pride Center said on social media on Friday that it was “deeply saddened” to see the bill become law.
“We acknowledge the pain, frustration and fear that many in our community are feeling at this moment,” the center said. After the State Senate passed the bill, the center called it “a deliberate attempt to erase L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ visibility from the public sphere.”
The center, which organizes the annual Utah Pride Festival, was planning a rally celebrating transgender visibility on the steps of the Utah State Capitol on Saturday, and said it would unfurl a 200-foot-by-30-foot version of the transgender flag.
Equality Utah, an advocacy group, said that it had lobbied for language in the bill that reaffirmed protections against discrimination for students. The group successfully sought to remove a provision from the bill that would have allowed parents to sue teachers over the display of flags.
“It sets a dangerous precedent the state can silence the speech rights of local governments and makes the bill constitutionally suspect,” Equality Utah said. “We are L.G.B.T.Q. Utahns. This is our home. This is our country. We are not going anywhere.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah urged the governor in a letter this month to veto the bill.
“The government should not be in the business of banning symbols that help people feel seen and welcomed,” the A.C.L.U. said, adding that teachers, school boards and local governments should have the freedom to determine what conduct reflected their values.
Mr. Cox called on legislators to revise the law, saying that its application on local governments went too far, and that the focus on banning flags would not keep other political displays, such as posters, signs and drawings, out of classrooms.
“All this bill does is add more fuel to the fire,” he said.
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