'Demonic': Gracie Abrams condemns Pride flag removal at Stonewall after Trump admin directive

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Gracie Abrams spoke out about the recent Pride flag removal at the Stonewall Monument in New York City. On Tuesday, Feb 10, she reposted comedian Benito Skinner’s commentary on her Instagram Story. 

Skinner had recently shared an article regarding the matter. The article said the removal followed a directive from the Trump administration. He described it in a single word. Gracie Abrams made it clear she agreed. She called it “Demonic.” Even Mayor Zohran Mamdani of NYC also shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the same issue.

Gracie Abrams labels Stonewall Pride flag removal 'demonic' 

The singer and songwriter's reaction came a day after staff at the Stonewall Inn noticed the Pride flag was gone from the federally owned monument outside the bar, according to The New York Times.

The Greenwich Village location is widely known as the starting point of the queer rights movement. Weeks earlier, the Department of the Interior had shared guidance saying “non-agency” flags should not be displayed across the National Park System.

Abrams has often spoken openly about her political views. In December, she released a track titled “Sold Out” with longtime collaborator Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver. The song supported Everytown, a nonprofit group working to stop gun violence, following a wave of shootings around the world that month.

Not long before that, Abrams addressed the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. She also criticized Trump after he mocked Rob Reiner in a Truth Social post. The post appeared shortly after the filmmaker and his wife, Michele, were killed in their home.

Zohran Mamdani condemns removal of the Pride flag from Stonewall 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also spoke out against the decision. He described the removal as an effort to wipe away an important part of history. “I am outraged by the removal of the Rainbow Pride Flag from Stonewall National Monument,” Mamdani said in a statement. 

“New York is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and no act of erasure will ever change, or silence, that history.” He went on to say the city must do more than remember this legacy. He said leaders have a responsibility to protect it. 

"Our city has a duty not just to honor this legacy, but to live up to it. I will always fight for a New York City that invests in our LGBTQ+ community, defends their dignity, and protects every one of our neighbors without exception," he concluded.

On Tuesday, February 10, the New York City Council urged the National Park Service to restore the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument. The request deepened a dispute with the Trump administration.