NY Officials Raise Rainbow Flag at Stonewall in Rebuke of Trump

Crowd cheers as politicians defy federal government's removal of LGBTQ+ symbol from historic site.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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New York politicians defiantly raised a rainbow flag on Thursday at the Stonewall National Monument, a landmark of LGBTQ+ pride, in response to the Trump administration's removal of the well-known symbol from the historic site.

Why it matters

The Stonewall Inn and surrounding Christopher Park were designated as a national monument in 2016 to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots, a pivotal moment in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The raising of the rainbow flag is seen as a powerful rebuke of the Trump administration's perceived efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights and representation.

The details

The flag-raising ceremony took place amid a boisterous, cheering crowd of supporters. New York politicians, including city and state officials, organized the event to defiantly display the rainbow flag after the Trump administration removed it from the Stonewall National Monument site.

  • The flag-raising ceremony took place on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

The players

Stonewall National Monument

A national monument designated in 2016 to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots, a pivotal moment in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Trump administration

The federal government under former President Donald Trump, which is accused of removing the rainbow flag from the Stonewall National Monument site.

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The takeaway

The raising of the rainbow flag at the Stonewall National Monument is a powerful act of defiance against the Trump administration's perceived efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights and representation, underscoring the continued importance of this historic site as a symbol of pride and progress.