Following Donald Trump’s changes in policies, federal officials took down the Pride flag from the historic Stonewall monument on Monday, sparking backlash, fury, and protest from the LGBTQ+ community members and local leaders.
The Stonewall National Monument stands in Greenwich Village and honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. It was a key moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. where the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement began at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar located across from Christopher Park.
Later in 2016, former President Barack Obama visited the place and designated the area a national monument to protect the LGBTQ+ community, their history, and recognize their rights. Since then, the rainbow flag has flown at the site as a symbol of equality and visibility.
However, during Donald Trump’s second term as president, federal officials were ordered to remove the Pride flag from the site, which left people upset. It was perceived as an attempt to erase the history and the struggle for the LGBTQ+ community’s rights and acceptance.
We have confirmed that a January 21st federal order has resulted in the removal last weekend of the Pride flag at Stonewall, birthplace of the modern LGBTQ human rights movement.
They cannot erase our history. Our Pride flag will be raised again. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/8ou8aQKGOq
— Brad Hoylman-Sigal 🌈🥯 (@bradhoylman) February 10, 2026
According to Mirror US, a National Park Service spokesperson emailed a statement revealing that the decision followed new guidance from the Department of the Interior. Under the new guidance, “only the U.S. flag and other congressionally or departmentally authorized flags are flown on NPS-managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions”.
The NPS spokesperson added, “Any changes to flag displays are made to ensure consistency with that guidance. Stonewall National Monument continues to preserve and interpret the site’s historic significance through exhibits and programs”.
While the NPS assured that the historic importance of the site will be preserved through public programs, the large Pride flag will no longer fly on the official flagpole. However, smaller Pride flags remain along the fence line of Christopher Park.
Even so, many in the community feel the removal sends a negative message. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani voiced his concerns and claimed to be “outraged” by the decision. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal shared his plan to “reraise” the Pride flag at the monument on Thursday at 4 p.m., in a post on X.
Tomorrow at 4PM, New Yorkers will come together to write yet another chapter in the rebel history of Stonewall. pic.twitter.com/q8P7QPmSwl
— Brad Hoylman-Sigal 🌈🥯 (@bradhoylman) February 11, 2026
Many protestors who gathered at the monument to protest, despite freezing 30-degree weather, said they were hurt but not surprised. Waving rainbow flags and holding signs that read “Bring Back Our Flags!”, “Stonewall Is Not Over”, and “They Have Declared War On Us”, people rallied on Tuesday.
As Mirror US spoke with a New York City resident Ellis and revealed that their first reaction to the situation was “disappointed, but not surprised”. They mentioned hearing about the protest from friends on social media and from people at the Stonewall Inn.
“The history is always present, and we feel it more in moments of this — it’s being attacked, but the presence of history in our community is always here… We’ve seen this monument be used for these symbolic political moves, like removing the T as trans rights are being contested. But removing a flag, why?” Ellis questioned.
They further added, “As a distraction, obviously it will get people’s attention because it is so clearly this symbolic form of hate that they can publicize out very easily, and it’s so unnecessary. Why is energy being put towards defacing and degrading the history that was made here? You can’t touch us. We can see through this display of hatred.”
For many, the flag is more than a piece of fabric waving at the historic location. It’s a symbol of pride, history, and ongoing struggle. So, while the flag has been removed from the pole for the time being, protesters say the spirit of Stonewall remains strong.
