A Story About Carrie Evans

How Viral Flag Topics Got to the Top of the Docket

On September 30th, 2021, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari to Shurtleff v. Boston. The case concerns whether flying a non-governmental flag on government property would be considered government speech. While some will see this case in religious terms — the plaintiff is suing to fly the Christian Flag — it may be better understood as a case about all non-governmental flags, which includes the Pride Flag.

The Supreme Court will hear the case on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022.

I have some history with at least one, non-governmental flag. Back in 2019, I documented the fallout of a local effort in Dublin, California to fly high a flag designed by Gilbert Baker. In September 2020, Minot, North Dakota would tangle itself into international notoriety spawning from the decision to fly Gilbert’s flag, more commonly known as the Pride Flag.

One major difference between these rainbow-powered flights is Alderwoman Carrie Evans. Her improvised (and later viral) defense of the Pride Flag transformed a city-sized kerfuffle into an international affair.

What follows is a three-part chronicle on the events before and after a speech about a Pride Flag echoed beyond a city that today no longer allows a Pride Flag, or…