New York Leaders Vow to Restore Stonewall Pride Flag After Removal

Officials and advocates plan to re-raise the LGBTQ+ pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument after the National Park Service took it down.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A group of New York politicians, city leaders, and LGBTQ+ advocates are expected to gather at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City on Thursday afternoon to re-raise the pride flag after the National Park Service removed it from federal grounds last weekend. The group called on the NPS, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of the Interior, to restore the flag, which became the first rainbow flag to fly on federally-funded land after it was permanently installed by NPS in 2021 during the Biden administration.

Why it matters

The removal of the pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument, a federal site honoring the LGBTQ+ rights movement, is seen as an effort by the Trump administration to erase the LGBTQ+ community's presence and representation on public lands. The flag's reinstallation is viewed as an important symbolic act to affirm the LGBTQ+ community's place and continued fight for equality in the United States.

The details

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Manhattan Borough President Brd Hoylman-Sigal were among the officials who gathered at the Stonewall National Monument on Thursday morning to demand the NPS restore the pride flag. They accused the Trump administration of trying to "erase" the LGBTQ+ community. The NPS confirmed the flag's removal, citing federal guidance that only allows the U.S. flag and other authorized flags to be flown on NPS-managed flagpoles. The NPS did not directly link the removal to Trump's 2025 executive order to remove "divisive" and "anti-American" content from national parks.

  • The pride flag was permanently installed by the National Park Service in 2021 during the Biden administration.
  • The National Park Service removed the pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument last weekend.

The players

Julie Menin

New York City Council Speaker.

Brd Hoylman-Sigal

Manhattan Borough President.

Donald Trump

Former U.S. President who directed the Interior Secretary to remove "divisive" and "anti-American" content from national parks and museums.

Doug Burgum

U.S. Interior Secretary under the Trump administration.

Barack Obama

Former U.S. President who designated the Stonewall National Monument in 2016, the first federal monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights.

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What they’re saying

“We sent a letter to the National Park Service to demand the return of the flag. Now, if you think about it, the fact that we even need to be here today is outrageous.”

— Julie Menin, New York City Council Speaker (mycentraloregon.com)

“It's unconscionable. It's unacceptable. This is an effort by the Trump administration to erase the LGBTQ community, and we will not stand for it.”

— Julie Menin, New York City Council Speaker (mycentraloregon.com)

“We speak united in that Donald Trump and his minions in Washington cannot and will not erase us. Am I right about that? So today, at 4 p.m. we will be gathering again here, and I hope many of you will join us, and we will re-raise our pride flag in the memory of those whose shoulders we stand on, who fought for LGBTQ equality and who point the direction forward for generations of queer Americans.”

— Brd Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan Borough President (mycentraloregon.com)

“What they're trying to do is set us up to take down the American flag and pit the rainbow flag against the American flag. We're not going to do that because the rainbow flag is completely compatible with the American flag, because our movement, the LGBTQ rights movement, is an American civil rights movement.”

— Erik Bottcher, New York State Senator (mycentraloregon.com)

“The flag is more than a piece of cloth. It's a symbol of how diverse we are, the colors stand for joy and harmony. They want to erase us. We're not going anywhere. We will grow in numbers. Get off your couches. We need to rise up in this nation … this is our America too.”

— Tony Simone, New York Assemblyman (mycentraloregon.com)

What’s next

The group plans to gather at the Stonewall National Monument at 4 p.m. on Thursday to re-raise the pride flag.

The takeaway

The removal of the Stonewall pride flag is seen as a symbolic attack on the LGBTQ+ community by the Trump administration, prompting a united response from New York leaders to restore the flag and affirm the LGBTQ+ community's place in American society and on public lands. This incident highlights the ongoing political battles over LGBTQ+ representation and the continued need to defend hard-won civil rights gains.