The Rainbow Flag continued to fly atop the flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument roughly 24 hours after activists and elected officials defied the Trump administration and reinstalled it in front of a massive crowd.
The flag blew in the wind on a sunny Friday afternoon on Feb. 13 as visitors roamed Christopher Park, snapped pictures of the flagpole, and paused to reflect on what has been a whirlwind week following the Trump administration’s removal of the flag on Feb. 9 — reported first by Gay City News.
The calmer atmosphere was a far cry from the frenzied scene the day before, when activists hoisted the flag and drew roaring cheers from the crowd. Like in recent days, only the side entrances of the park were open, while the main entrance was locked.
One of the park’s Friday afternoon visitors, Gabriel Engel, who resides in Brooklyn, told Gay City News he was in attendance when the flag was raised again on Feb. 12.
“I found it interesting — they did not take down the American Flag, which was there to replace the Pride Flag,” Engel told Gay City News. “I’d rather see a Pride Flag than the American Flag, but if it’s a Pride Flag and American Flag, it’s fine by me, as long as the Pride Flag is there.”
The Trump administration’s Department of the Interior strongly criticized the reinstallation of the flag, telling Gay City News it was a “political stunt,” but a spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about whether the federal government would keep the flag in place.
Keishan, a trans immigrant from Japan, told Gay City News during a visit to the park that the attention surrounding the flag could, in turn, actually bring more visibility to the LGBTQ community.
“It’s so very shocking,” Keishan said, referring to the flag’s removal on Feb. 9. “Right now, there’s a negative energy towards LGBTQ people, but you think of it as an opportunity.” The more people learn about the flag’s removal and reinstallation, Keishan said, the more public opinion could sway in favor of queer individuals.
Malik, another visitor, stressed that LGBTQ community members should not be silenced, echoing similar themes heard throughout the week from LGBTQ individuals who say they refuse to be erased.
“The trans community, the gay community, the straight, bi, whatever you are — you should be heard,” Malik, another visitor, told Gay City News. “All I’ve got to say, is f–k Trump, because we’ve all got to stand together.”
Linda, who also paid a visit to the park on Feb. 13, described the removal of the flag as “enraging.”
“It’s very painful, especially for people who struggled to have their equal rights — not only LGBTQ people, but people all over this country having a similar experience of trying to be erased,” Linda explained. “We all have to fight, not just the LGBTQ community; I think the whole country is feeling that certain communities and people just feel vulnerable, and the LGBTQ community has always felt vulnerable.”
Linda added: “But we’re a lot stronger now, and we’re back,” gesturing to the flag. “Here it is, and we’ll see how long that lasts before they come again and take it down. But when they do, we’ll put it up again.”
