Huntington Beach City Council votes to limit City Hall flags, won't fly Pride Flag

Huntington Beach reconsidered its display of the Pride Flag with a proposed city ordinance limiting which flags would fly on the staff outside City Hall.

The Huntington Beach City Council voted to move forward with limiting flags -- under the ordinance, only government flags and the POW/MIA Flag are allowed to fly outside Huntington Beach City Hall -- meaning the Pride Flag won't be flown anymore during Pride Month in June. The Tuesday night vote was 4 to 3.

Dozens of people came to the city council meeting to speak out against the new city ordinance proposed by Councilman Pat Burns, who suggested flags on city property should not be "divisive," and should only represent the United States, the state of California, Orange County and the city of Huntington Beach, along with the POW/MIA Flag. 

"I'm here to look you all in the eyes and ask you to please not do this," said one resident during Tuesday night's meeting. "Please don't divide the community this way."

"Having a supportive community can make a kid feel more at home. A flag can save a child's life," said Braunwyn Windham-Burke, the first openly lesbian cast member of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" reality-TV show. 

Lena and Sally Osborne brought their seven kids to speak out against the proposed ordinance.

"You are encouraging discrimination and there would be a lack of love and safety in the city," said Sally Osborne. 

Other speakers supported Burns's proposal.

"To compel people to genuflect for values that are not their own isn't equality it's tyranny," said one speaker. 

"Huntington Beach is inclusive and the notion we need a flag to say that it is, is absurd," said another speaker.

The city first hoisted the Pride Flag on May 22, 2021, the birthday of former San Francisco supervisor and slain civil rights activist Harvey Milk.