A liberal enclave on the western edge of the deep-red state of Montana is pushing LGBT “Pride” to new heights.
The Missoula, Montana, City Council voted 9-2 on Monday night to make the “Pride” flag the city’s official flag. The move flies in the face of a recent bill signed into law in Montana that bans “Pride” flags from being flown on government property and schools.
“Currently, there is only one official flag for the City of Missoula, and that’s the Pride flag adopted last night. There was no prior official flag,” Missoula City Attorney Ryan Sudbury told NBC Montana.
Missoula’s “Pride” flag designation is already reflected on the Wikipedia page about the city.
Screenshot: Wikipedia
Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte blasted the city council’s move in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.
“Last night, nine members of the Missoula City Council made clear their top priority is flying a divisive pride flag over government buildings and schools — all while ignoring the city’s housing affordability crisis, raising taxes by 17% because of over spending, and refusing to take firm action to end encampments in the city,” Gianforte said. “Missoulians deserve better, and fortunately, two council members voted against imposing this divisive, far-left agenda on their community.”
The sponsor of the resolution, Jennifer Savage — who identifies as queer — pointed to her daughter as a reason she pursued designating the “Pride” flag the city’s official flag.
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“When I see the Pride flag, I breathe a little sigh of relief and think my kid is safe here,” Savage said.
Last month, Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB 819 into law, prohibiting the display of flags on state property that represent a “political viewpoint, including but not limited to flags or banners regarding a political party, race, sexual orientation, gender, or political ideology.” Missoula, however, appears to have found a loophole in the law that allows cities to fly an official municipal flag, according to KPAX. With the city council’s vote on Monday night, the “Pride” flag now meets that designation.
“Leave it to Missoula to try and turn a city flag into a pride flag. Nothing says ‘unity’ like politicizing public property,” said Republican state Rep. Braxton Mitchell. “The ultra far left Missoula City Council and their mayor are completely out of touch with reality and the values of the vast majority of Montanans. Taxpayer owned property should represent everyone, not just the loudest political movements of the moment.”
Missoula County voted overwhelmingly for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in 2024, 59% to 38%, while former Democratic Sen. John Tester received 66% of the vote in Missoula to just 32% for Republican Tim Sheehy. Trump and Sheehy went on to win the state.
Missoula is also represented at the state level by Zooey Zephyr, a man who identifies as a woman. In 2023, Zephyr was censured by the Republican-controlled Montana House of Representatives for an outburst over a ban on gender procedures on minors.
“The only thing I will say is if you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” Zephyr said.
Rep Zooey Zephyr of Missoula said the following when debating SB99 Amendments.
“The only thing I will say is if you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.” pic.twitter.com/wuhlympbLq
— Montana Freedom Caucus (@MTFreedomCaucus) April 18, 2023
Montana banned gender procedures on children in 2023, but the law was blocked by a state district court judge in Missoula, and the state’s Supreme Court upheld that preliminary injunction in December.
