Over the past few months, an ongoing legal battle has occurred at one of the most sacred sites of LGBTQ+ history: the Stonewall National Monument. Designated as such by President Obama in 2016, the monument is the first national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. It honors the events and legacy of the Stonewall Riots which occurred in Greenwich Village in June 1969. The Stonewall Inn, which is largely considered to be “the birthplace of the modern Gay Rights Movement,” holds significant history not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but as a pivotal turning point in American history.
The Stonewall Riots inspired activists to turn a moment of police brutality into a movement of advocacy and action. That movement is what we now know today as the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement, or Queer Liberation Movement. Post-Stonewall, the number of LGBTQ+ organizations dramatically increased from a mere 50 in 1969 to over 2500 in less than two years time just within the United States. Another major moment was on the one-year anniversary of the Uprising—June 28, 1970—when hundreds of activists met around Stonewall and marched 51 blocks to Central Park, holding a big protest rally, or “Gay-In” for LGBTQ+ rights. They called it Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day. Today, the idea of LGBTQ+ people marching through the streets of their city in June is still popular and celebrated by millions all across the globe, except now we call it Pride.
Needless to say, Stonewall has played and continues to play a significant role in LGBTQ+ history and for the queer community today. When the Stonewall National Monument was created, there were mixed feelings from within the community. Some celebrated this monumental occasion of visibility and representation from the federal government—something, perhaps, that was unimaginable in a previous generation. However, others felt that Stonewall could never belong to the federal government. It was a site created for and by the people. And with the creation of the national monument, it meant that the land was now under federal jurisdiction.
Fast-forward 10 years to 2026, when the current administration does not typically support public displays of Pride and queer joy, which unfortunately, includes the flying a rainbow Pride flag with the national monument’s Christopher Park. The rainbow flag was formally installed in 2022 during president Joe Biden’s tenure after a years-long activist campaign that advocated to have it flown daily. However, after a recent directive from the federal government, the National Parks service removed the rainbow flag in February of this year. The directive outlined the federal guidance on flag displays, and the rainbow flag was apparently not compliant with these guidelines. In its place, an American flag was raised.
Activists immediately gathered around Christopher Park, the site of the former Pride flag, to hold demonstrations, rallies, and protests to have the flag returned to its rightful place. Activists jumped the wrought-iron fence around the flagpole and hung the rainbow flag on top of the American flag. After a few weeks, a public press conference was held with local public officials, where they reinstated the Pride flag to hang below the American flag. Yet, queer New Yorkers and those around the world were still unsure of the future of the Pride flag at this historic site. Would it be allowed here, and who gets to make that decision?
After many tense months of headlines, protests, and legal battles, the rainbow Pride flag has officially (and legally!) returned to the Stonewall National Monument. The current administration has agreed to formally reinstate the rainbow Pride flag after a legal settlement with LGBTQ+ and historic preservation groups.
Although framed as the removal of a flag because of compliance standards, most queer people saw it as what it really was: the attempted erasure of a history, a community, and a people. The protests around the Pride flag demonstrate that we don’t need legal recognition to be seen and heard, and honestly, never have. Queer folks deserve equal rights, and we will continue to fight for those in all ways. And at the same time, the removal of the Pride flag doesn’t remove the legitimacy, presence, or legacy of queer folks or the queer history that happened on this historic site. And in fact, seeing activists come out in the hundreds to say, “We’re still here! We’re still queer!” only inspired the movement further.
The rainbow flag has now officially returned to its rightful place in Christopher Park at the Stonewall National Monument. In a newly designed and installed flag pole, there are now three flags flying of equal size. The American flag flies on top, while the Pride flag and the National Park Service flag fly below, all arranged according to the US flag code.
