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5mo ago

U.S. Settles Stonewall Lawsuit, Orders Pride Flag Reinstalled

The deal clarifies that federal flag rules can make room for symbols tied to a site's history.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 12: People put up an LGBTQ+ Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument after the Trump administration had the National Park Service remove it earlier in the week on February 12, 2026 in New York City. Activists gathered at the park in protest and to watch the flag be reinstalled at the site, which is considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. A temporary flag was raised by local politicians, only to be taken down moments later by activists, who put it on the permanent flagpole with the American Flag. The monument recognizes The Stonewall Inn, a legendary Manhattan gay bar that was the site of a 1969 uprising credited as a turning point in the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The decision to take down the flag has drawn backlash from national civil rights groups, LGBTQ+ advocates, and New York officials. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The Stonewall National Monument, where the LGBTQ+ rights movement was born, after authorities removed the Pride flag from the Greenwich Village site in New York City, U.S., February 10, 2026. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
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Overview

  • Under a settlement filed Monday in federal court, the National Park Service must rehang the Pride flag at Stonewall within seven days after removing it in February under Interior guidance.
  • The agreement sets clear display rules with the U.S. flag on top, the Pride flag beneath it, and the NPS flag below, and it allows removal only for maintenance or other practical needs.
  • The case will be dismissed with prejudice and each side will cover its own costs, and a judge must approve the deal and will retain authority to enforce it.
  • A coalition including the Gilbert Baker Foundation, Village Preservation, Equality New York, and Lambda Legal sued, arguing the policy’s historical-context exception covers the Pride flag at Stonewall.
  • The dispute grew from a January memo limiting non-agency flags and prompted protests and an unofficial re-raising at the monument, an outcome that could guide how federal sites honor marginalized histories.