Hawaii joins Wisconsin in raising LGBT flag to ring in Pride Month

The Hawaii State Capitol raised its first rainbow flag in Honolulu on Monday to commemorate Pride Month, a holiday surrounding the LGBT community.

“In Hawaiʻi, aloha is more than a word — it’s a value that guides how we treat one another, with love, respect and dignity,” Democratic Gov. Josh Green said in a statement. “Flying the pride flag at our state capitol is a proud reflection of that aloha, as well as our deep commitment to inclusion. While other places are pushing people to the margins, Hawaiʻi is leading with compassion and courage — recognizing that our Māhū and LGBTQIA+ communities have always been a valued part of our story, and always will be.”

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also raised the same flag over the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building.

Wisconsin also opted to fly an LGBT flag over its Capitol, as it has done for the past six years. Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) wished his constituents a “Happy Pride Month.”

“This month, we celebrate LGBTQ folks across our state and country and commit to the work ahead to make sure every Wisconsinite can live boldly in their truth without fear,” Evers wrote on X Sunday. “Everyone has a place and a home here in Wisconsin.”

Meanwhile, others shared their opinions opposing Pride Month as a holiday. Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) reminded his followers on X that June has religious meaning.

“Pride goes before the fall,” Moore wrote, paraphrasing the Bible. “June is the month of the Sacred Heart.”

Montana passed a law last month to ban not just LGBT flags but practically any flag other than the state or U.S. flag on its government buildings. The new law proclaims, “Government property, including state buildings and grounds, public schools, and other government-owned facilities, should serve neutral governmental functions and not be used to promote political or ideological advocacy. The United States flag and other officially recognized governmental flags represent the collective identity, heritage, and sovereignty of the nation, state, and local entities and should be the primary symbols displayed on government property.”

A similar bill to ban the LGBT flag from Arizona public buildings passed in the state House but is at a standstill in the state Senate. The legislation does not apply to the Prisoner of War Flag, the Arizona Indian Nations flag, or flags representing first responders.

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In Utah, the Salt Lake City Council unanimously passed an ordinance establishing versions of LGBT flags as “official” city flags to circumvent the state‘s new law restricting them in government-sanctioned spaces. Protesters responded to the passage of the law earlier this year by unfurling a large rainbow flag on the lawn of the Capitol.

Boise, Idaho, Mayor Lauren McLean, a Democrat, similarly issued a proclamation designating the Pride flag as an official flag of the city.