A large Pride flag has been removed from the Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan following new federal guidance issued by the Trump administration restricting the display of “non-agency” flags at National Park Service sites.
The monument, designated in 2016 by former President Barack Obama, commemorates the 1969 uprising at the Stonewall Inn, widely regarded as the birth of the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
According to the National Park Service, only the US flag and other congressionally or departmentally authorised flags may be flown on federally managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions. The guidance was issued by the Department of the Interior on January 21.
Local officials and staff at the Stonewall Inn said they realised the rainbow flag had been removed on Monday morning. By Tuesday, the monument’s flagpole stood empty.
Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn, said the removal was unexpected and deeply troubling. She described the Pride flag as more than a symbol, calling it a visible affirmation of LGBTQ history and identity.
More than 100 people gathered outside the monument on Tuesday evening to protest the decision. Demonstrators described the move as an act of erasure and accused the administration of targeting diversity initiatives.
The directive forms part of a broader federal shift in policy since President Donald Trump’s return to office. In recent months, the administration has acted to remove or restrict symbolic displays linked to diversity, equity and inclusion across various public institutions, including changes to historical exhibits and language at national park sites.
The Park Service has previously faced criticism over modifications at Stonewall. Last year, references to transgender people were removed from sections of the monument’s website, prompting protests in Greenwich Village.
New York City officials condemned the latest development. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the removal would not alter the city’s historical role in the LGBTQ rights movement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the decision as “deeply outrageous” and called for the flag’s reinstatement.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said local representatives were planning to raise the Pride flag again during a demonstration later this week.
The Stonewall National Monument remains the first US historic site dedicated to the LGBTQ rights movement. While federal authorities insist the site’s historical significance continues to be preserved through exhibitions and programming, critics argue that the removal of the flag signals a broader attempt to reshape the public narrative around LGBTQ history.
Source: The New York Times