Pride Flag Raised Again at Stonewall National Monument in NYC

Community members and advocates celebrate the return of the pride flag after it was removed by the Trump administration.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The pride flag was raised again at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City on Thursday, after the Trump administration had replaced it with an American flag earlier this week. Community members and LGBTQ+ advocates gathered to witness the flag's return, which they see as an important symbol of their history and identity.

Why it matters

The Stonewall National Monument is a historic site that commemorates the Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. The removal of the pride flag was seen by many as a politically-motivated act of intimidation by the Trump administration against the LGBTQ+ community. The re-raising of the flag is a symbolic act of defiance and a reassertion of LGBTQ+ identity and history at this nationally significant location.

The details

The pride flag was taken down under new guidance from the Trump administration stating that only U.S. flags or those authorized by Congress can fly at National Park Service sites. State and city officials, including New York Assemblyman Tony Simone, condemned the flag's removal and organized the flag-raising ceremony to put the pride flag back up, where it will now fly alongside the American flag.

  • The pride flag was removed by the Trump administration earlier this week.
  • The flag was raised again on Thursday afternoon.

The players

Stonewall National Monument

A national monument in New York City that commemorates the Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Trump administration

The previous presidential administration that ordered the removal of the pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument.

Tony Simone

A New York State Assemblyman who condemned the flag's removal and participated in the ceremony to raise the pride flag again.

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What they’re saying

“This is our America too and by God that flag will go back up - for every flag you take down - 10 more will go up!”

— Tony Simone, New York State Assemblyman (abc7chicago.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.”

— Tony Simone, New York State Assemblyman (abc7chicago.com)

What’s next

The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, has criticized the flag-raising as a political stunt, but state and city officials have vowed to continue defending the pride flag's presence at the Stonewall National Monument.

The takeaway

The return of the pride flag to the Stonewall National Monument is a symbolic victory for the LGBTQ+ community, reasserting their history and identity at this historically significant site. It also represents a broader struggle over the representation of marginalized communities in public spaces and the political battles that can surround such issues.