Stonewall Pride flag row escalates as activists sue Trump administration over removal

LGBTQ+ legal group Lambda Legal has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after a Pride flag was removed from New York City’s Stonewall National Monument earlier this month.

The National Park Service (NPS) took down the flag last week (9 February), citing federal guidance that limits which banners can be displayed on flagpoles at sites run by the Department of the Interior. Officials said only the US flag and other authorised government flags are typically permitted under existing policy. 

Stonewall National Monument, located near the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, commemorates the 1969 uprising widely regarded as a catalyst for modern LGBTQ+ rights activism. The Pride flag had flown at the site for several years after being installed during Joe Biden’s presidency. 

“The Pride flag at the Stonewall national Monument honours the history of the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation” – Douglas F Curtis, Lambda Legal’s chief legal advocacy officer

According to court filings, the lawsuit argues that removing the flag without public notice or review violated federal law and the Administrative Procedure Act. Lawyers representing a coalition of activists and organisations claim National Park Service policy allows non-government flags when they provide historical context – something they say applies to Stonewall. 

“The Pride flag at the Stonewall national Monument honours the history of the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation,” Douglas F Curtis, Lambda Legal’s chief legal advocacy officer, said. “It is an integral part of the story this site was created to tell.

“Its removal continues the Trump administration’s disregard for what the law actually requires in their endless campaign to target our community for erasure and we will not let it stand.”

Human rights activist Jay Walker was among those who helped raise a replacement Pride flag at the monument after local leaders and campaigners returned to the site days later. The action followed criticism from New York politicians and community groups, who said the flag reflects the monument’s historic significance. 

Equality New York director Amanda Babine accused the administration of attempting to “erase our community”.

Plaintiffs in the case include the Gilbert Foundation, Charles Beal, Village Preservation and Equality New York. The legal challenge was filed in a US district court alongside the Washington Litigation Group.

Equality New York director Amanda Babine accused the administration of attempting to “erase our community”.

“The Pride flag stands for everyone who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and those who came before us, fighting for dignity and visibility,” they added. “It stands sentry over the birthplace of our modern movement, where LGBTQ+ New Yorkers fought back against injustice. We will not be silent.”

The Interior Department has previously defended the removal as part of broader efforts to standardise flag displays across national parks.