The Trump administration has settled a lawsuit by agreeing to restore the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The decision reverses the administration’s removal of the flag in February 2025, which had sparked widespread criticism and legal action from several nonprofit groups.
The removal was initially conducted by the National Park Service under guidance from the Department of the Interior, citing a policy that prohibited the official display of non-agency flags on National Park Service–managed flagpoles. The lawsuit filed against Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and other officials challenged this removal, arguing the flag’s historical significance to the LGBTQ community.
Under the settlement, the Pride flag will be restored in an official capacity within seven days and cannot be taken down except for routine maintenance. This agreement protects the flag’s display from changes in political leadership, ensuring its permanent presence at the monument that commemorates the Stonewall riots of 1969, a pivotal event in the LGBTQ rights movement.
Why it matters
The restoration of the Pride flag holds symbolic and legal significance as the Stonewall National Monument is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ history and rights. Advocates viewed the flag’s removal as an erasure of LGBTQ contributions and history, with prominent figures including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul condemning the initial removal as an attempt to rewrite history.
The lawsuit’s outcome may set a precedent for protecting LGBTQ-related exhibits and symbols on federal lands against politically motivated removals. Similar actions by the Trump administration had targeted other historical representations, such as removing an exhibit on George Washington’s slave ownership at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
Background
The Stonewall National Monument was established in 2016 to honor the 1969 Stonewall Inn riots, a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The Pride flag flying there has been a significant emblem of LGBTQ identity and activism. In February 2025, references to transgender and queer individuals were removed from the monument’s materials following an executive order signed by President Trump that redefined sex legally as only male or female and omitted the “T” and “Q” from the LGBTQ acronym on official platforms.
The flag’s removal led to protests and a defiant re-raising by local officials and citizens, though this act lacked federal sanction. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislative measures aimed at preventing future removals of the Pride flag, calling the initial action “deeply outrageous.”
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal expressed relief over the settlement, describing the restoration as recognition that LGBTQ history is integral to American history and society. Community advocates emphasized the flag’s role as a symbol of hope and freedom for LGBTQ people worldwide.
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