Rainbow Flag Returns to Stonewall After Trump Removal
A Pride flag was re-raised at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City on Thursday, days after its removal by the Trump administration, according to reports from the Guardian and Tagesspiegel. The flag’s removal, ordered by the National Park Service in January, sparked immediate protest and condemnation from city officials.
The National Park Service memorandum stated that only U.S. Flags, agency flags, and the POW/MIA flag are permitted at national parks, with limited exceptions for flags offering historical context. The move followed a directive from the Trump administration to restrict displays deemed “partisan” or divisive, as reported by CNN. The Interior Department defended the decision, stating it was intended to ensure consistency with federal guidance and existing executive orders.
New York City officials swiftly criticized the removal. Mayor Mamdani labeled the action an “act of erasure,” while City Council Speaker Julie Menin, along with Council Members Chi Ossé and Justin Sanchez, called it a troubling message that signaled a willingness to “sanitize and erase our history.” Brad Hoylman-Sigal, President of Manhattan’s Borough, questioned where pride flags could be flown if not at the Stonewall monument.
The Stonewall Inn, located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, is recognized as the site of the 1969 uprising that ignited the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. A police raid on the gay bar triggered days of protests and resistance, fundamentally changing the discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ activism in the United States, according to the Library of Congress.
Following the removal of the flag, activists took matters into their own hands, hoisting a new Pride flag at the monument. Jay Walker, an activist involved in the action, vowed to continue replacing the flag if authorities removed it, stating, “Our community will not allow our park, our flag pole, to be insulted by Trump.”
The flag removal is part of a broader pattern of changes implemented by the Trump administration at national parks and monuments. CNN reported that the administration has altered displays and imposed its views on cultural and historical institutions, including removing references to transgender and queer people from the Stonewall monument’s website in February 2025. Similar changes have been reported at other sites, including the removal of imagery and stories about minorities from military websites and alterations to panels at the Margraten Cemetery.
As of Friday, the National Park Service had not responded to requests for comment from the Associated Press regarding its policy on symbolic displays at national monuments.