LGBTQ Pride flag banned by Huntington Beach voters
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - Voters in Huntington Beach have solidified a ballot measure that will ban the display of certain flags on city property.
Measure B was passed by 58% of voters according to the latest tally by the Orange County Registrar of Voters. It prohibits the display of Pride, breast cancer awareness and religious flags, although it exempts city, county and state flags, as well as the U.S. and armed forces flags from the ban.
The charter amendment stipulates that the only flags to be displayed by Huntington Beach on city property will be the U.S. flag, California flag, Orange County flag, city flag, POW-MIA flag, the flags of the six Armed Forces, and, during the Summer Olympic Games, the Olympic flag.
The ballot measure enshrines into the city charter an ordinance approved last year by City Council majority, which undid a previous council vote in favor of flying the rainbow flag on city buildings during Pride Month in June.
The measure was first proposed in 2023 by Republican Councilmember Pat Burns, who explained in a staff report explaining his reasoning for the request.
"The City of Huntington Beach should avoid actions that could easily or mistakenly be perceived as divisive. [We] are one community with many different cultures and people. All are equally valued members of our community, and none are to be treated differently or discriminated against."
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"People have asked if we can fly other flags, whatever they may be, and I don’t believe that we should fly any other flags but equal flags that represent us all," Burns added.
A unanimous vote by the City Council will now be required to fly a commemorative flag from city facilities.
The most recent Orange County hate crimes report found a 126% increase in hate crimes against members of the LGBTQ community in 2022 over the previous year.