SARASOTA, Fla. – City officials in Sarasota eagerly approved a move to hoist a gay-pride flag above city hall, but quickly shut down any conversation of flying a Christian one.
According to The Floridian, a conservative website, Sarasota city commissioners on May 3 unanimously approved a request to fly the LGBTQ progress banner over city hall this week to recognize the “Music & Arts Fest Pride | Be Fabulous Festival.”
Shannon Fortner, president of the Fabulous Arts Foundation, asked that the city raise the flag from May 11 through May 13 for the event.
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“We donated a really nice flag last year and would love to have it flying at City Hall again,” Fortner said in an email to the City Commission, according to The Floridian. “We would also love to get a proclamation and have someone represent at the opening ceremony. Thanks again for all you do, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch replied that she had reached out to City Manager Marlon Brown “to make the necessary arrangements.”
The Floridian reported on Saturday that Jan Thornberg, a city spokesperson, confirmed the LGBTQ flag would fly as Fortner requested.
“The City Commission unanimously approved the temporary flying of the Progress flag May 8-14 leading up to and during the Music & Arts Fest Pride|Be Fabulous Festival … as it is consistent with the City’s values of non-discrimination, diversity and inclusion,” Thornberg said.
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The Floridian then asked if the city would allow a Christian flag to share that space, “in the spirit of diversity and inclusion.”
Thornberg cited the board’s “non-governmental flag flying policy,” which strictly prohibits “promoting or opposing a particular religion or religious organization or having a religious theme.”
“When asked whether this prohibition would apply to the Progress Pride Flag,” The Floridian noted, Thornberg answered, “Legal counsel was present during the discussion and had no objections.”
In approving that policy in September 2022, Sarasota lumped Christian flags in with those that promote political candidates or organizations, “discrimination or discriminatory practices against any group of people,” illegal activity, “adult or sexually explicit matters or to lewd or obscene themes or materials, drugs or alcohol, or commercial advertising.
The city developed that policy by citing a U.S. Supreme Court case that unanimously struck down the city of Boston’s refusal to fly a Christian flag above its city hall. The court said the city’s action violated the First Amendment after Boston officials had approved nearly 300 other applications for flags of other groups.
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