Leaders, Protesters Aim to Raise Pride Flag at Stonewall After Removal

New York City officials and activists plan to defy Trump administration order and reinstall the rainbow Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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In defiance of a Trump administration order, New York City officials and LGBTQ+ activists are preparing to raise the rainbow Pride flag again at the Stonewall National Monument, the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, after the National Park Service removed it over the weekend. The flag's removal is seen as the latest assault on transgender rights by the Trump administration.

Why it matters

The Stonewall Uprising of 1969 was a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights, and the Pride flag's removal from the national monument is viewed as an attack on that legacy and the ongoing struggle for equality. The incident highlights the continued political battles over LGBTQ+ rights, especially for transgender individuals, under the Trump administration.

The details

The rainbow Pride flag was first flown at the Stonewall National Monument in 2018 during Pride month after a community volunteer received approval from the National Park Service. The flag flew continuously starting in 2021 under the Biden administration, until it was removed last week. The NPS cited new guidance about the display of 'non-agency flags' as the reason for the removal, though activists see it as the latest effort by the Trump administration to marginalize transgender people.

  • The Stonewall Uprising occurred in 1969.
  • The Stonewall National Monument was established in 2016 by former President Barack Obama.
  • The Pride flag was first flown at the site in 2018 during the Trump administration.
  • The flag flew continuously starting in February 2021 under the Biden administration.
  • The flag was removed last week by the National Park Service.

The players

Chloe Elantari

A transgender woman who lives in the East Village and arrived at the Stonewall National Monument to protest the flag's removal.

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

The Manhattan borough president, who announced on Instagram that 'history will not be erased' after the National Park Service removed the rainbow Pride flag.

Steven Love Mendez

A community volunteer known as the 'caretaker' who first received approval to fly the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in 2018 and again in 2021 under the Biden administration.

Jay Walker

An activist who says the flagpole was put up solely to display the rainbow Pride flag, and that the Trump administration has 'encroached again and again' on the Stonewall site.

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What they’re saying

“I'm here because the federal government is bullying trans people by taking our flag away to distract from the heinous crimes that everybody at every level of government has been committing against children. They are scapegoating us. They are blaming us.”

— Chloe Elantari, Transgender woman and East Village resident

“History will not be erased.”

— Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan borough president (Instagram)

“It has so much significance to the community, young and old. It's very sad and callous and hateful for that flag to have been removed. It wasn't necessary, you know?”

— Steven Love Mendez, Community volunteer and 'caretaker' of the Stonewall National Monument

“The reality is that that entire garden area, before it was designated a national landmark, those have been tended to by members of the community. Since Donald Trump has been in office the second time, he has just encroached again and again. First, he changed the hours, from open until 8 p.m. to open until 5 pm. Now this.”

— Jay Walker, Activist

What’s next

New York City officials and activists plan to raise the rainbow Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument on February 12th, in defiance of the Trump administration's order to remove it.

The takeaway

The removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument, the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, is seen as the latest attack by the Trump administration on the rights of transgender individuals. This incident highlights the ongoing political battles over LGBTQ+ equality and the importance of preserving the legacy of the Stonewall Uprising.