Rainbow Flag Reinstalled at Stonewall, But Placed Below American Flag

The federal government has restored the Rainbow Flag at the Stonewall National Monument, but it now flies below the American Flag on the flagpole.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 8:35pm

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A cinematic painting of the Stonewall National Monument flagpole with the Rainbow Flag and American Flag blowing in the wind, capturing the complex emotions surrounding the flag's placement at this historic site.The new flag arrangement at the Stonewall National Monument sparks debate over how to best honor the site's LGBTQ history and significance.NYC Today

The federal government has formally reinstalled the Rainbow Flag at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City, but the flagpole now features the American Flag at the top, with the Rainbow Flag and National Park Service flag positioned below it. This new arrangement has drawn mixed reactions from LGBTQ community members and activists who had previously fought to have the Rainbow Flag prominently displayed at the historic site.

Why it matters

The Stonewall National Monument is a historic site that commemorates the 1969 Stonewall riots, which are considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The prominent display of the Rainbow Flag at the monument has been an important symbol of LGBTQ pride and representation. The federal government's decision to remove the flag in February 2026 and the subsequent reinstallation with the American Flag taking precedence has sparked concerns about the government's commitment to fully honoring the LGBTQ community's history and struggle for equality.

The details

In accordance with an April 13 settlement, the federal government has reinstalled the Rainbow Flag at the Stonewall National Monument. However, the flagpole now features the American Flag at the top, with the Rainbow Flag and National Park Service flag positioned below it. It is unclear when exactly the flags were reinstalled, but they were not present in the park when it closed on the evening of April 15 and were in place by the morning of April 16.

  • The federal government removed the Rainbow Flag from the Stonewall National Monument in February 2026.
  • On April 13, 2026, a settlement was announced that the Rainbow Flag would be reinstalled at the monument.
  • The new flag configuration was in place by the morning of April 16, 2026.

The players

Gilbert Baker Foundation

An organization that advocated for the reinstatement of the Rainbow Flag at the Stonewall National Monument.

Village Preservation

A local preservation group that was part of the lawsuit to restore the Rainbow Flag.

Equality New York

An LGBTQ advocacy organization that was part of the lawsuit to restore the Rainbow Flag.

Lambda Legal

A civil rights organization that represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit to restore the Rainbow Flag.

Washington Litigation Group

The law firm that represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit to restore the Rainbow Flag.

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What they’re saying

“While I am very happy that the settlement was made with the new administration so a Pride Flag can be on the flagpole permanently, it brings a sense of loss to see that the flagpole is not being utilized in the way it was created by national parks to mimic the activist flag and pole that was there before it. The Pride Flag was the top and the predominant flag, and on the sides, we rotated different flags that represented different segments of the community, like trans, two-spirit, bisexual, etc.”

— Steven Love Menendez, Caretaker of the flags in the park

“When I walked by, I was wondering why the Rainbow Flag was at half-mast. It's almost like it's being lowered below everything. A park that was meant to remember a queer tragedy is being taken over by the American Flag as a whole.”

— Stelle Hönig, Park visitor

“You can still see it, but I wish it could be more up, and I see the trans colors are not in the flag, so somebody did something with the flag to change it. We won against Trump.”

— Nicole Aubry, Park visitor

What’s next

The National Park Service has not yet commented on the specific reasoning behind the new flag configuration at the Stonewall National Monument. LGBTQ community members and activists are encouraged to write letters to the NPS to express their views on the appropriate display of the Rainbow Flag and other LGBTQ-related flags at the historic site.

The takeaway

The reinstallation of the Rainbow Flag at the Stonewall National Monument, while a victory, has been tempered by the federal government's decision to place it below the American Flag on the flagpole. This move has sparked concerns about the government's commitment to fully honoring the LGBTQ community's history and struggle for equality at this historic site.