Pride flag removed from Stonewall National Monument under Trump admin's new policy

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument has been removed after a directive from the Trump administration ordered that only specific government flags can be flown at national monuments.

This change marks a significant shift in the system as the historic site in New York City was a famous place that honored the start of the LGBTQ rights movement.

Flag removed after Trump admin orders new rules for flag displays

The National Park Service took down the flag because of new guidelines from the Interior Department. 

A spokesperson explained that the new policy says “only the US flag and other congressionally or departmentally authorized flags are flown on NPS-managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions.” 

Even though the park has flown the Pride flag since it became a national monument in 2016, the government says the change is about staying consistent with these new “guidelines.” 

The agency stated that the "Stonewall National Monument continues to preserve and interpret the site’s historic significance through exhibits and programs.”

The federal directive states that in most cases, the National Park Service can only fly the U flag, the Department of the Interior flag and the Prisoners of War flag in the public spaces it maintains.

 The exemptions to this policy would include times when a flag would “provide historical context” to a site, or when a site is co-managed with another entity “that may fly that state’s or city’s relevant flag.”

But the parks service said in a statement that “changes to flag displays are made to ensure consistency with that guidance."

NY leaders say Pride flag will 'fly again'

Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke out against the move, saying, "I am outraged by the removal of the Rainbow Pride Flag from Stonewall National Monument. New York is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and no act of erasure will ever change, or silence, that history." 

He promised to keep supporting the community, stating, "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." 

Furthermore, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also called the decision “a deeply outrageous action that must be reversed right now.” 

Schumer added, “Stonewall is a landmark because it is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, and symbols of that legacy belong there by both history and principle.”

State Sen Erik Bottcher, whose district includes the park, also criticized the move, saying that “Stonewall is where our community fought back and demanded to be seen. You cannot separate that place from the symbol that grew out of it.” 

 Bottcher further stated on X that “we will not be erased, we will not be silenced, and the Pride flag will fly again.”

New policies for transgender rights and history

The decision aligns with wider changes in how the federal government manages historical monuments and flag displays, however, it is being seen as part of a larger plan to change how the government treats LGBTQ history and rights.

Recently, the monument’s website was changed to remove the word “transgender,” switching the term “LGBTQ+” to just “LGB” after an executive order focused on biological sex. 

Additionally, the administration has started new policies that stop transgender people from serving in the military, prevent trans girls from playing on female sports teams, and cut off funding for hospitals that provide transition-related healthcare to minors.