Overview
- The National Park Service confirmed it removed the large rainbow flag from the Stonewall National Monument, citing guidance that limits NPS-managed flagpoles to the U.S. flag, Department of the Interior flags, and the POW/MIA flag with limited exceptions.
- Gay City News first reported the takedown, which occurred late Sunday or early Monday, and officials and caretakers said it remains unclear who physically removed the flag.
- New York leaders and LGBTQ groups condemned the move, sent formal letters demanding the flag’s return, organized protests, and said they intend to try to raise a Pride flag again on Thursday.
- The flag had flown permanently on the federal portion of the site since 2022 at the monument that honors the 1969 uprising near the Stonewall Inn, designated a national monument in 2016.
- Critics point to last year’s removal of the words “transgender” and “queer” from the monument’s NPS website as part of a broader pattern, while the agency notes the directive allows limited exceptions for historical context and living‑history programs.