Trump Administration Agrees to Fly Pride Flag at Stonewall Monument

The Trump administration has agreed to continue flying a rainbow Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument, reversing a decision made in February. This agreement was revealed as the government seeks to settle a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ and historic preservation groups.

A judge must still approve the settlement.

According to court documents, the Interior Department and National Park Service intend to keep the Pride flag flying at Stonewall, removing it only for maintenance or other practical reasons.

Within a week of the agreement, the Park Service is set to hang three flags on the monument's flagpole: the U.S. flag, the Park Service flag, and the Pride flag, with the Pride flag positioned between the other two.

The Pride flag had become a focal point for discussions surrounding President Donald Trump's approach to the Stonewall site, the first national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ history, and other historical properties.

Activists had campaigned for years to have the flag, a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride, flown daily at the park service-run site. It was formally installed in 2022 during President Joe Biden's term. At the time, park service officials described the display as a commitment to "telling the complex and diverse histories of all Americans."

However, in February, the park service removed the flag, stating it was in compliance with federal guidance. A memo from January 21 largely restricts the agency to displaying only the U.S., Department of the Interior, and POW/MIA flags, with exceptions for historical context.

The park service maintained its commitment to preserving and interpreting the site's history through exhibits and programs. Nevertheless, LGBTQ+ activists viewed the flag's removal as a targeted insult aimed at diminishing a site central to their struggle for rights and visibility.

Following the removal, advocates and some New York Democratic elected officials raised another rainbow flag, placing it alongside the U.S. flag installed by the park service.

President Barack Obama established the Stonewall monument in 2016. The monument is centered on a small park across from the Stonewall Inn, the gay bar where a 1969 police raid led to an uprising that significantly advanced the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Following his return to office, Republican President Trump targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as well as protections for transgender people. Consequently, references to transgender individuals were removed from the monument's website and materials.