New York City officials say they will raise a Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument this week — a move that could spark a direct confrontation with the federal government at one of the most symbolic locations in LGBTQ+ history.
The decision follows the quiet removal of the Pride flag earlier this year after new guidance from the Trump administration restricted which flags may be flown at properties managed by the National Park Service (NPS).
Local leaders argue that removing the Pride flag from Stonewall erases the very history the monument commemorates.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal announced Tuesday that city and state officials intend to reinstall the flag on Thursday at the federally managed park across from the Stonewall Inn.
“This is about visibility and memory,” Hoylman-Sigal said.
“The people who stood up here in 1969 faced real danger. Honoring that legacy requires action, not silence.”
A Flashpoint at a Historic Site
The Stonewall Inn became a global symbol of LGBTQ+ resistance after patrons fought back against a police raid on June 28, 1969, sparking days of protests that transformed queer activism across the United States.
While the bar remains privately owned, the adjacent park was designated a national monument in 2016, placing it under federal jurisdiction — and now at the centre of a legal and political standoff.
According to Hoylman-Sigal, the Pride flag will be raised on land managed by the National Park Service, a move likely to draw scrutiny from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Federal officials confirmed that the Pride flag had been removed earlier this year but declined to comment on whether it would be taken down again if city leaders reinstall it.
Federal Policy and a Broader Shift
In a statement, the Interior Department said the flag’s removal followed government-wide rules limiting displays at federal sites.
“Only the U.S. flag and other authorized flags are flown on NPS-managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions,” the department said, citing guidance from the General Services Administration.
The dispute reflects a broader shift under the Trump administration, which has framed several actions as opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
In recent months, the National Park Service has altered or removed exhibits addressing slavery at historic sites in Philadelphia and announced plans to reinstall a statue of Confederate general Albert Pike in Washington, D.C.
Community Pushback
Hoylman-Sigal described the removal as part of a wider effort targeting LGBTQ+ communities.
“This administration keeps finding new ways to send a message about who belongs,” he said.
“That message doesn’t match New York’s values.”
Pride flags continue to fly prominently at the Stonewall Inn and its visitor centre, both privately owned properties.
Brandon Wolf, national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, said the symbolism remains powerful regardless of federal action.
“Stonewall has always been about showing up,” Wolf said.
“That spirit doesn’t disappear because of a policy memo.”
As city officials prepare to raise the Pride flag once more, the dispute has grown into more than a disagreement over flag protocol. At Stonewall — the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement — the question is whether a federal monument can truly honour history while restricting the symbols that represent it.
