It brought tears to my eyes when the Trump administration forcibly removed the Rainbow Flag from the Stonewall National Monument. It took many years of queer teamwork to get the Rainbow Flag permanently installed as a symbol to recognize the journey of our liberation that took place almost 60 years ago in this sacred space! It can be disheartening at times like this. I would like to share my story with Christopher Park and the Rainbow Flag.
In 1989, my uncle, Jorge Menendez, took me to the Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park on my first trip to New York City when I was 18 years old. My uncle wanted me to know that this was the spot where gay liberation took place. This was long before the internet, so we learned by stories being passed onto us by our elders. At that time I had no idea that homosexuality was criminal until 1969! Sadly, uncle Jorge died from AIDS a couple of years later. I am saddened that we could not have had a deeper relationship as adults. He hid his illness from the family since there was so much stigma, homophobia, and shame. My uncle’s story inspires me to use my activism to create acceptance, pride, to let go of shame, and to express the beautiful gift of being Queer.
In 2016, when I first heard that Christopher Park was going to become a national monument, I became immediately interested in participating. I had already been carrying a Rainbow Peace Flag for many years of protesting and was inspired to include the flag’s hopeful message! I remember I was with Randy Wicker at a National Parks community meeting to get suggestions for the park as they were preparing in advance to make the designation official. Randy suggested statues of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera be created, which I am still wishing to this day would happen! My suggestion was going to be for a Rainbow Flag and pole to be installed in the park.
On Oct. 11, 2017, I attended the initial flag-raising dedication on the existing nautical flagpole just outside the Christopher Park that was supposed to be the first Rainbow Flag on federal lands. The Trump administration with the National Parks determined at the last minute that the flagpole was in the ownership of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and not the federal government, and therefore was not part of the Stonewall National Monument’s footprint, so it would not have the status of being on federal lands.
I then met ACT UP activist Michael Petrelis, who was instrumental in getting the flag installed. He shared with me his National Monuments contacts and passed me the activist torch to get to work and to get things done within the system. I reached out to then-Superintendent Shirley McKinney and received a permit for Pride Month 2018 to install 250 Rainbow Flags around the park perimeter fence. I put in a temporary flagpole and flag inside the park’s garden, where I envisioned the permanent flagpole should reside!
For multiple years moving forward, I would request to be able to leave the temporary flagpole and Rainbow Flag after Pride Month, but the answer was always no. I then saw an opportunity to ask again when the Biden administration was coming in — and suddenly the answer was yes! Since Feb. 2, 2021, the Rainbow Flag has flown in the same spot inside the park! In March 2022, I was contacted by National Monuments superintendent Shirley McKinney and she informed me that they were going to create and install a permanent flagpole and flag in the same spot! They also sent an official letter stating this to Michael Petrelis, who was continuing to request a permanent Rainbow Flag inside the park. The flag with the National Parks logo started to fly in that spot where my activist flagpole stood in June 2022. The flag got installed because of the passion of activists! Triumph and victory!
Part of my service is to show my love for the movement by being a caretaker and steward of the flags for the park. I visit the park a few times a week, making sure everything looks great, and being a presence for many visitors. Spending so much time these past nine years as a volunteer has deepened my connection with our sacred site and the folks who visit from all over the globe. I realized more and more how important the Monument and flag are to so many. Queer history is American history. I have met so many beautiful people coming into the park looking for community, safe space, reflection, and celebration. I have met folks of all ages and walks of life who come to the park with intention. I have met Stonewall veterans. I see tour groups coming through every day to learn our history. I see regulars who come to the park almost daily since they do not have a welcoming queer place for them in their neighborhoods or homes to find a sense of community and belonging. I have seen elected officials and celebrities that utilize the park to make public statements of support for the Queer community. I have seen couples get married in front of the flag display. I once met a young trans person on a trip with their Dad who was excited to visit the park for the first time. They started to cry when I was taking a photo for them in front of the flag, and they said, “I live in Texas and we do not have a place like this.” Our park and our flag have such deep significance for so many!
Having the flag removed felt like a gut punch when it first happened. Then seeing our community come together with fierce energy to fight back restored my hope and reminded me that when we are united we come back stronger! We have an incredible community of passionate activists and we will not submit to oppression from outside forces that want to try and erase us from being seen and heard. What they easily forget is we come back louder and prouder!
My activism has always been rooted in love. I call myself a Love Activist. I believe in the philosophy of nonviolence as practiced by Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I truly believe LOVE is the answer and the best chance we have to make long lasting change without creating harm to others and bring people together in peace.
No matter what happens in the future to the Stonewall Monument and the Rainbow Flag, Christopher Street Park is our sacred space and it will never lose its history. It will always be the HEART and SOUL of our community. It is our sacred ground for us to come together and it can never be taken away. Out of the darkest times comes the most brilliant light! Let us create beauty and take powerful and loving actions out of this difficult moment in our history. The Queer community is a force of Love. United in LOVE we have the greatest power to overcome ANYTHING that crosses our path! Our stories, our triumphs, and our victories will forever live in Christopher Park!
