Surf City USA bans Pride flags

Voters in Surf City U.S.A. on Tuesday amended their city charter to ban rainbow Pride and other flags from government property unless approved by a unanimous vote from its city council.

Huntington Beach passed Measure B with over 58 percent of the vote and roughly 28 percent opposed. Unless specifically approved by all members of the city council, only the “American flag, the POW/MIA flag, the State of California flag, the Huntington Beach City flag, the County of Orange flag, or any of the flags of the six branches of service: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Space Force” can now be flown at city buildings or properties.

Further exceptions are made to display official Olympic flags during the Summer Olympic Games, which will be held in the greater Los Angeles area in 2028.

According to the official analysis, Measure B is “nearly identical to current law” except for the exemptions for the Olympic flags and those approved in a unanimous vote by the city council.

Huntington Beach is home to the annual U.S. Open of Surfing, the largest surfing competition in the world, and other surfing competitions, earning it the title of Surf City USA. The enumerated exemption for Olympic flags comes as the city hopes to host surfing events for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.

While proponents of the measure declared the U.S. flag is the one flag that represents all Americans, opponents disagreed.

“This measure not only undermines our city’s identity as Surf City USA but also alienates residents who do not feel represented by the selected flags,” the official rebuttal to the measure read.

The city is known for its long sandy beaches and waves perfect for surfing, but also its historically conservative heritage. Last year, the council voted to cease displaying the Pride flag and later removed language condemning hate crimes from government documents and created a new board to regulate public library materials.

It is unclear if Tuesday’s vote will impact a decision regarding the city’s bid to host the surfing events for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games.