Pride flag taken down at historic LGBTQ landmark
The National Park Service has removed the Pride flag from Stonewall National Monument in New York City. The move follows broader changes under the Trump administration. Those changes affect how LGBTQ history appears at the site.
Stonewall National Monument honors the Stonewall Inn. The Manhattan bar was the site of a 1969 uprising. That event helped launch the modern LGBTQ rights movement. In 2016, former President Barack Obama designated Christopher Park as a national monument. The park sits across from the inn. Since then, Pride flags had flown there. However, that display has now ended.
Federal guidance cited for removal
The National Park Service said the decision follows new guidance from the Department of the Interior. The policy states that only the U.S. flag and other approved flags may fly on Park Service flagpoles. Exceptions are limited.
As a result, officials said they made the change to stay consistent with that rule. At the same time, the agency said it will continue to preserve and explain the site’s history. Exhibits and public programs will remain in place.
Strong reaction from New York leaders
Meanwhile, New York officials quickly criticized the decision. Gay City News first reported the removal.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was outraged. He called New York the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. He added that no action can erase that history. Furthermore, he pledged to support LGBTQ residents across the city.
Similarly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the move. He said it should be reversed at once. He argued that the Pride flag belongs at Stonewall because of its history and meaning.
In addition, State Sen. Erik Bottcher spoke out. His district includes the monument. He said Stonewall cannot be separated from the symbol that grew from the fight for equality.
Part of wider policy changes
The flag’s removal follows earlier updates to the monument’s website. After an executive order declaring there are only two unchangeable sexes, references to queer and transgender people were removed.
Earlier versions of the site used the term LGBTQ+. Later updates referred only to lesbian, gay and bisexual people. The acronym LGB replaced the broader term. Similar edits appeared across other federal websites.
Beyond website language, the administration has introduced new policies. For example, executive orders restrict transgender people from serving in the military. Additionally, new rules limit transgender girls and women from competing in female sports at federally funded schools. The administration has also blocked federal funding for hospitals that provide transition related care to minors.
Taken together, these actions have raised concerns among advocates. Many see the flag’s removal as part of a larger shift. Instead of a simple policy change, they view it as an effort to reshape how LGBTQ history is recognized at Stonewall.
