Full story
Pride Flag Restoration
The Trump administration agreed to restore the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument as part of a settlement to a lawsuit.
“The federal government has agreed to officially restore the Pride flag that was removed from the Stonewall National Monument”
The flag had been removed in February due to a Department of Interior directive.
The Interior Department and National Park Service confirmed their intention to maintain a Pride flag at Stonewall.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, We fought the Trump administration and won.
The Gilbert Baker Foundation celebrated the restoration.
The monument was created by President Obama in 2016 as the first federal site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history.
Legal and Political Battle
The flag's removal sparked widespread backlash from New York officials.
The Gilbert Baker Foundation and other nonprofits filed suit.
The settlement represents a loss for the Trump administration's efforts to roll back diversity initiatives.
The National Park Service memo restricts flags to U.S., Interior, and POW/MIA.
LGBTQ+ activists viewed the removal as a targeted affront.
The monument remains committed to preserving and interpreting the site's historic significance.
Flag Display Details
The National Park Service will hang three flags on the Stonewall monument flagpole.
“As part of the agreement, the federal government is set to return the flag to the monument’s official flagpole within the next seven days”
The American flag will be on top, the Pride flag below it.
Each flag will measure three feet by five feet.
The site also features a large Pride banner on a city-controlled flagpole.
The Pride flag was formally installed during the Biden administration in 2022.
Broader Cultural Context
The Stonewall National Monument commemorates the 1969 police raid that sparked the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
After Trump returned to office, his administration took aim at diversity initiatives.
Many references to transgender people were excised from the monument's website.
The Pride flag's removal became a flashpoint in broader cultural battles.