City Council Speaker Julie Menin and LGBTQIA+ Caucus Co-Chairs Chi Ossé and Justin Sanchez demanded answers from the federal government on Feb. 10 after Gay City News exclusively reported that the Trump administration removed a Rainbow Flag from a flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument.
“On behalf of the New York City Council, we are writing to express our extreme concern with the removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument, the birthplace of the modern LGBTQIA+ movement,” the letter begins. “Stonewall is a sacred ground in the history of civil rights in our country. The events that took place there catalyzed a global movement for dignity, equality, and freedom — guiding principles upon which our nation was founded. The Pride flag has long flown as a symbol of that struggle and of the resilience of a community that continues to fight for its basic rights.”
The letter coincides with widespread outrage over the Trump administration’s decision to remove the flag due to what the National Park Service described as “government-wide guidance” stipulating that “only the US flag and other congressionally or departmentally authorized flags are flown on NPS-managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions.”
The flag’s removal is just the latest chapter in a broader effort by the Trump administration — dating back to the president’s first term — to push back against Rainbow Flags at Stonewall National Monument.
In the letter, addressed to Jessica Bowron, the acting director of the National Park Service, the city lawmakers demanded the restoration of the flag and an explanation for its removal.
“As speaker of the City Council and as co-chairs of the Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus, we urge the National Parks Service to immediately return the Pride flag to the Stonewall National Monument where it belongs,” the letter noted. “We also request a prompt response outlining the rationale behind this decision and the steps your agency will take to ensure that the Stonewall National Monument continues to reflect the truth of its history and the community it represents.”
In response to the flag’s removal, community members are expected to hold a demonstration at Christopher Park at 5 p.m. on Feb. 10.
