Alberta school boards hoping to display a Pride flag in June for Pride month or some other time would need to submit an exemption request to the education ministry.Eduardo Lima/The Canadian Press
The rainbow Pride flag will effectively be banned from being displayed at schools in Alberta beginning in the new year as part of legislation to remove what the province calls ideology from classrooms, a prominent LGBTQ organization says.
The new Flag Display Regulation prohibits flags that “constitute a political, social or ideological statement or position on the part of the school board,” according to the province.
In practice, this will remove Pride flags from Alberta schools, Pflag Canada, a non-profit organization that supports and advocates for LGTBQ individuals, said in a statement.
Student advocacy organizations and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have also criticized the move, saying it raises concerns about freedom of expression and will harm LGBTQ students.
“It’s deeply troubling on many fronts,” said Harini Sivalingam, director of CCLA’s equality program.
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The new rules do not apply to individuals or their personal items, such as clothing or pins worn by students.
School boards will be required to fly the Canadian and Alberta flags outside of school buildings during the academic year, beginning Jan. 4.
Other flags, such as the Franco-Albertan flag, civil and municipal flags and the Royal Union Flag will be permitted on specified days.
Flags that are directly related to the instruction of a course or program of study can be temporarily displayed, and First Nations, Métis Settlements General Council and Métis Settlement flags and foreign national flags may be displayed during official visits, celebrations, ceremonial occasions or on specific days.
School boards that wish to display any other flags must submit a written request to the Ministry of Education and Childcare.
The proposed flag would have to meet at least one of the following criteria: be representative of the school population and community context; be part of existing physical infrastructure; be reflective of school identity; be associated with a commemorative day or observance; or be part of a school event.
School boards hoping to display a Pride flag in June for Pride month or some other time would need to submit an exemption request to the ministry. They would have to make the case that the flag meets at least one of the above criteria while also persuading the ministry that the flag does not constitute a political, social or ideological statement or position on the part of the school board.
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Earlier this year, Alberta passed Bill 25, An Act to Remove Politics and Ideology from Classrooms, which the government said would help ensure school divisions do not take sides in politically or socially divisive causes and issues, including restrictions on the display of flags.
Implementation of the flag law was delayed to the new year to give school boards more time to provide feedback and work through issues related to the changes.
“The Canadian and Alberta flags are symbols that unite us and reflect the values we share. These changes will provide a clear and consistent approach to flag displays in schools, while keeping the focus where it belongs: on student learning and success,” Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a statement. His office declined a request for an interview.
The new regulation will have a chilling effect, said Christopher Longtin, board chair of Pflag Canada.
“The flag means a lot more than I think people realize,” he said. “It tells students, teachers, visitors in a school that they can be themselves and talk openly,” he said.
While the new regulation raises questions about freedom of expression and whether government should dictate what symbols of identity and inclusion are welcomed in public spaces, it fundamentally sends a message to young people about whether they belong in schools, the CCLA’s Ms. Sivalingam said.
“The message that it sends is a message of exclusion.”
Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides in Calgary in 2025.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Wing Li, a spokesperson for Support Our Students, a public education advocacy organization, said the flag rules are part of the government’s “culture war” on schools.
“This is not the first culture-war issue or target that the province has launched,” she said.
Last year, the province ordered schools to remove books featuring explicit sexual content, which resulted in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and other literary classics being pulled.
In the wake of public outcry, the government amended the rules to only focus on books that featured visual depictions of sexual acts.
“We’re moving backward to where we’re going to see more negativity and stigmatism to an already tough journey for gay, queer and trans kids,” Ms. Li said.
Alberta NDP education critic Amanda Chapman accused the government of ignoring more important issues facing schools.
“Albertans are worried about overcrowded classrooms and increasingly complex student needs, not policing flags. None of the UCP’s culture war nonsense helps a single student or teacher,” she said in a statement.
Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Federation, called the flags regulation a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
“What problem is the government trying to solve here? Albertans aren’t asking for more rules about flags. They’re asking for smaller classes and better supports for students,” he said in a statement.