Overview
- The National Park Service removed the large Pride flag from the NPS-managed flagpole at Christopher Park over the weekend, citing guidance that limits displays to the U.S., Department of the Interior, and POW/MIA flags with narrow exceptions.
- New York City officials and hundreds of supporters gathered on February 12 to restore a Pride flag at the Stonewall site using a smaller pole during a public event.
- An American flag now flies on the federal flagpole at the monument, and questions remain about who took down the Pride flag and how the memo’s exceptions for historical context or special events might apply to Stonewall.
- Gay City News first reported the removal, which triggered swift condemnation from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, and a City Council letter urging the flag’s return.
- The dispute follows National Park Service edits in February 2025 that scrubbed references to transgender and queer people from Stonewall’s official web pages, fueling concerns about narrowing recognition of LGBTQ history on public land.