Pride Flag Restored at Stonewall After Removal by Trump Administration

Local leaders and advocates gather to raise the rainbow Pride flag, a symbol of LGBTQ resistance and resilience.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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In a defiant act of protest, local leaders and LGBTQ advocates gathered at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City to raise the rainbow Pride flag, which had been removed by federal officials under the Trump administration's guidance limiting flags at National Park Service sites. The move was seen as an attempt to undermine LGBTQ rights and erase queer history, sparking a rally to reclaim the flag as a symbol of resistance and resilience.

Why it matters

The Stonewall National Monument is the site of the 1969 Stonewall uprising, a pivotal moment that ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The removal of the Pride flag was viewed as a direct attack on this history and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ equality, prompting the community to take action and reassert their presence and visibility.

The details

On Thursday morning, a crowd of about 75 people, including transgender advocate Chloe Elentari, gathered at the Stonewall National Monument, where the Pride flag had been removed earlier in the week under the Trump administration's directive. That evening, local leaders such as City Council members Chi Ossé and Crystal Hudson joined the advocates to raise the rainbow flag themselves, refusing to wait for the federal government's approval.

  • The Pride flag was removed from the Stonewall National Monument earlier this week under the Trump administration's guidance.
  • The rally and flag-raising took place on Thursday evening.

The players

Chloe Elentari

A transgender woman from the East Village who participated in the rally, waving a large Pride flag and declaring, "This is our park. This is not Donald Trump's playground."

Chi Ossé

A New York City Council member and co-chair of the City Council's LGBTQ caucus, who said the community shouldn't have waited for the federal government to restore the Pride flag, and that "the most Stonewall thing that we could possibly do is put that flag up ourselves."

Crystal Hudson

A New York City Council member and former co-chair of the LGBTQ caucus, who said the Pride flag's restoration builds on a history of resistance and resilience of historical social movements, and that "we're here, we're queer, and we're not going anywhere."

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What they’re saying

“This is our park. This is not Donald Trump's playground.”

— Chloe Elentari, Transgender advocate (Patch)

“The most Stonewall thing that we could possibly do is put that flag up ourselves instead of waiting for the president.”

— Chi Ossé, New York City Council member and co-chair of the LGBTQ caucus (Patch)

“We're here, we're queer, and we're not going anywhere.”

— Crystal Hudson, New York City Council member and former co-chair of the LGBTQ caucus (Patch)

What’s next

The community's actions to restore the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument are seen as an ongoing effort to reclaim LGBTQ symbols of resistance and continue the advocacy for LGBTQ rights in the face of the Trump administration's policies.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of the Stonewall National Monument as a symbol of the LGBTQ rights movement, and the community's determination to protect and defend their history and visibility in the face of attempts to erase or undermine their existence and struggles for equality.