Lawsuit Alleges Removal of Pride Flag from Stonewall Monument Violated Federal Law

Nonprofits argue Trump administration's decision to take down the flag was discriminatory against the LGBTQ+ community.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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A group of nonprofits, including the Gilbert Baker Foundation, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to remove the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan. The lawsuit argues that the flag's removal violated a federal law that allows national monuments to fly flags providing historical context, similar to how Confederate flags are permitted at some National Park Service sites.

Why it matters

The Stonewall Inn and the surrounding park are considered the symbolic heart of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, after the 1969 police raid on the bar sparked three days of protests and riots. The lawsuit alleges the flag's removal was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to erase the existence and history of LGBTQ+ people from federal properties and agencies.

The details

The Pride flag was removed from the Stonewall National Monument's small triangular park overnight on February 8, 2026. Employees at the historic Stonewall Inn noticed the flag was missing the next morning. Days later, hundreds gathered to replace the flag, but the National Park Service said only the officially sanctioned Pride flag could be flown, and it could be taken down at any time. The lawsuit argues the original Pride flag should have been allowed to remain under a federal law that permits flags providing historical context at national monuments, similar to how Confederate flags are displayed.

  • The Pride flag was removed from the Stonewall National Monument overnight on February 8, 2026.
  • Hundreds of people gathered in the park days later to replace the removed Pride flag.

The players

Gilbert Baker Foundation

A foundation honoring Gilbert Baker, the artist who created the rainbow Pride flag in 1978, and a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Village Preservation

Formerly the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, and a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Equality New York

An LGBTQ+ advocacy organization and plaintiff in the lawsuit.

National Park Service

The federal agency that manages the Stonewall National Monument and removed the Pride flag.

Trump administration

The federal government under former President Donald Trump, which the lawsuit alleges targeted the LGBTQ+ community by removing the Pride flag.

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What they’re saying

“It's hard not to view this removal in the broader context of the Trump administration's efforts to erase the existence of L.G.B.T.Q.+ people, and transgender people in particular.”

— Karen Loewy, Lawyer, Lambda Legal (New York Times)

“It's not just any park, and it's not just any flag. It's the symbolic heart of the gay rights movement.”

— Karen Loewy, Lawyer, Lambda Legal (New York Times)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to allow the Pride flag to be restored to the Stonewall National Monument.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing battles over LGBTQ+ representation and visibility, even at historic sites like the Stonewall Inn that are central to the community's struggle for equality. The outcome could set an important precedent for how national monuments honor diverse histories and identities.