The pride flag has reportedly been removed from Stonewall National Monument in New York recently, which has resulted in controversy and calls for the flag to return — as well as a movement to raise the pride flag back on the flagpole at 4:00 in the afternoon Eastern Standard Time tomorrow, Thursday, February 11, 2026.
Pride Flag Removed From Stonewall National Monument in New York
Stonewall National Monument is the first national monument in the United States that is dedicated to the rights and history of people who consider themselves to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer — which is more popularly known as the LGBTQ community. The name of the national monument is derived from the riots that occurred at the Stonewall Inn at 53 Christopher Street after police officers conducted a raid on the bar during the early morning hours of Saturday, June 28, 1969 in the quirky Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York.
After the rioting ended five days later, the Stonewall Inn became both a tourist attraction and an important symbol of the LGBTQ movement.
An official memorandum titled Guidance on the Display and Flying of Non-Agency Flags and Pennants within the National Park System from the Department of the Interior of the United States from Wednesday, January 21, 2026 — which was signed by Jessica Bowron, who is currently the acting director of the National Park Service of the United States — includes the following text:
Subject to the below exemptions, only the U.S. Flag, flags of the DOI, and the POW/MIA flag will be flown by the NPS in public spaces where the NPS is responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, and operation of the flag and flagpole.
Per GSA guidance issued in 2023, flagpoles at buildings under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of the GSA are not intended to serve as a forum for free expression by the public. Rather, approved non-agency flags and pennants may be flown as an expression of the Federal Government’s official sentiments, to promote a Federal agency-approved program, to adopt or support a Federal agency policy, or for a specific special occasion. Flagpoles at buildings under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of DOI are also not intended to serve as a forum for free expression by the public.
Exemptions
The flying of non-agency flags and pennants within units of the National Park System on flagpoles, buildings, or other points of display managed, co-managed, or controlled by the NPS that fall under the following categories may also be permitted. These categories include flags and pennants that:
- provide historical context, such as earlier version of the U.S. flag at a historic fort;
- are part of historic reenactments or living history programs;
- are current military branch flags;
- are the flags of federally recognized Tribal nations affiliated with the park;
- are at sites co-managed by other Federal agencies (e.g., Manhattan Project National Historical Park) that may fly relevant non-DOI agency flags;
- are at sites co-managed by a State (e.g., Redwood National and State Park) or city (e.g., Waco Mammoth National Monument) that may fly that State’s or city’s relevant flag;
- are part of parks with international park designations (e.g., Saint Croix Island International Historic Site) that may fly relevant foreign flags; or
- are provided by agreement between the NPS and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services related to Naturalization ceremonies.
Emotional thoughts have been expressed pertaining to this issue via social media.
Final Boarding Call
I agree that the official Stars and Stripes flag of the United States should be the official flag on the main flagpoles in every national park and national monument in the country. That flag should come first and foremost.
One might argue that the pride flag falls under the exceptions of providing historical context or are part of historic reenactments or living history programs; but if we were to stick to the letter of the aforementioned memorandum, the pride flag technically does not align with either context, as this symbol of the LGBTQ movement did not exist until 1978 — approximately nine years after the raid by police officers occurred in 1969 — and therefore should not be raised on the main flagpole at Stonewall National Monument.
When I visited Stonewall National Monument in New York last year, I did not really notice the pride flags that were on the flagpoles as shown in the photograph that is featured at the top of this article — but the official flag of the United States was nowhere to be found. What was important to me was that context that the rights of a group of people were unnecessarily infringed upon by a department of a government agency — and that should be remembered in order to help prevent that injustice from happening again in the future. Just because someone classifies himself or herself as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer does not mean that they do not get to enjoy the same basic human rights as other people…
…but in this case, I am not sure that the pride flag on the main flagpole significantly advances the message and purpose of Stonewall National Monument, which represents one of the turning points in history in the fight for dignity and human rights in general. In fact, I find no sign or presence of the American flag to be troubling and unacceptable. Perhaps as one of many solutions to this issue, raise the official Stars and Stripes flag of the United States on the main flagpole; and keep the ten pride flags that are in the photograph near the main flagpole — or at least include permanent historic photographs that feature the pride flag to be displayed on structures within Stonewall National Monument.
Would the removal of the pride flag from the flagpole change or minimize your experience and significance of Stonewall National Monument as a destination if you were to travel to it to visit? Does the removal of the pride flag constitute an erasure or a rewriting of a part of history as some people claim? Should the pride flag should be raised on the main flagpole once again at Stonewall National Monument?
All photographs ©2015 and ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
