On Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s administration removed the rainbow Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument in New York, sparking strong reactions from LGBTQ+ activists and local leaders. The flag was taken down at the monument in Greenwich Village.
It’s a historical site that’s managed by the National Park Service after the bar became famous in 1969 for a police raid that led to protests that helped launch the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Later, in 2016, former President Barack Obama named the area a national monument to honor the history.
However, a decade later, the Trump administration decided to erase that history by removing the Pride flag. Park Service officials said this particular action was taken after the recent guidance on longstanding federal flag policies.
The Stonewall Monument is a symbol of LGBTQIA+ pride, and the desecration of Pride decorations is unacceptable under any circumstances and especially hateful during Pride Month.
As a community, we must push back against hate of any kind.
Hate against one is hate against all. https://t.co/0i29YLJjwb
— Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) June 14, 2024
Although the decision wasn’t linked to any political agenda, many believe that the move fits into a broader pattern under President Donald Trump’s administration. In fact, the American Civil Liberties Union has described this action as part of a “sustained, years-long effort” to weaken the protection for LGBTQ+ people.
Since returning to office for his second term, President Donald Trump has signed policies recognizing only two genders at the federal level. This move not only reduced funding for LGBTQ+-specific support programs but also removed references to transgender people from government sites and even the Stonewall monument’s page.
Eventually, this strict and swift action was openly criticized by several activists, netizens, and even New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Taking to X, he strongly criticized the removal of the flag, and called it an “act of erasure.”
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.
Our city has a duty not just to honor this legacy, but to…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 10, 2026
Mamdani further added that New York City has been the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and therefore, no action can silence that history. So, he promised to continue supporting and protecting the LGBTQ+ community.
Even local leaders like Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who is the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold his office, released a statement, describing the removal as “petty and vindictive”.
Hoylman-Sigal highlighted that while taking down one Pride flag might seem minor, it’s actually “profoundly disappointing and frightening”, given how the action was taken at Stonewall. Further, LGBTQ+ activist Ann Northrop also rejected the Park Service’s explanation.
She called the removal “a disgusting slap in the face” during an interview with The Associated Press, as advocacy groups and City Council members planned rallies in response.
This is another disgusting example of the Trump Administration’s effort to erase the LGBTQ+ community.
Removing the Pride flag will not make us forget the legacy of Stonewall.
I fought for Stonewall to become designated as a National Monument and I will fight to see that the… https://t.co/q1t3GXYvjD
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) February 10, 2026
As of now, a Pride flag still flies on a city-owned pole outside the park, and a few smaller flags hang along the fence. However, the rainbow flag hoisted on federal property at the monument was a powerful sign of national recognition, which has now been removed following federal policy changes.
Now, while the flag removal remains the latest point of contention between LGBTQ+ activists and Trump’s administration. They’re also infuriated with how the administration has reviewed materials at national parks and museums.
The Trump administration has decided to remove or alter descriptions that the government believes “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living”. Additionally, the administration has also faced criticism for cutting funding for the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provided support to LGBTQ+ youth.
