‘No Careless Mistake’: Trump Sued for Removing Pride Flag at Stonewall Monument
•February 17, 2026
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Why It Matters
The case tests the limits of federal flag regulations and could set precedent for LGBTQ representation on public lands, influencing future civil‑rights litigation.
Key Takeaways
- •Trump administration removed Stonewall pride flag per Interior memo.
- •LGBTQ groups sue, alleging animus and illegal selective enforcement.
- •Lawsuit cites Administrative Procedure Act violations and resource diversion.
- •City officials reinstated flag temporarily, sparking public backlash.
- •Case highlights broader disputes over LGBTQ representation in federal sites.
Pulse Analysis
The Stonewall National Monument, the only federal park dedicated to LGBTQ history, became the flashpoint of a new legal battle when the National Park Service took down the rainbow flag that had flown over the site. The removal was executed under a Department of the Interior directive that limits federally maintained parks to the U.S. flag, the Interior flag, and the Prisoners of War flag. Critics argue the rule was applied selectively, as other historic flags—most notably Confederate standards—remain displayed at numerous monuments. The abrupt action sparked immediate condemnation from local officials and advocacy groups, who view the flag as a living reminder of the 1969 riots that ignited the modern gay‑rights movement.
The plaintiffs—a coalition of the Gilbert Baker Foundation, Village Preservation, and Equality New York—filed a 41‑page complaint in the Southern District of New York, alleging that the administration’s decision was driven by impermissible animus toward the queer community. Their lawsuit invokes the Administrative Procedure Act, contending that the Interior Department’s enforcement is arbitrary and capricious because it deviates from established flag‑display practices without a rational basis. The filing also references a pattern of alleged anti‑LGBTQ actions, from website deletions to employee discipline, positioning the case as a broader test of the Trump administration’s approach to civil‑rights protections.
City leaders responded by raising a new pride banner alongside the Stars and Stripes, a move that drew both applause and jeers from onlookers. The visual clash underscores the growing tension between federal authority and local cultural expression. If the court orders the flag’s reinstatement, it could set a precedent for how historic and community flags are treated on federal land, potentially prompting a review of interior guidelines nationwide. Conversely, a ruling in favor of the government may embolden further restrictions, affecting not only LGBTQ symbols but also other minority‑heritage displays across the nation’s monuments and parks.
‘No careless mistake’: Trump sued for removing pride flag at Stonewall monument
MANHATTAN (CN) — A group of LGBTQ+ advocates sued the Trump administration on Tuesday after it pulled down a pride flag at the historic Stonewall National Monument in Greenwich Village last week.
In an 41-page lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, the group claims that the sudden removal of the rainbow flag from Stonewall was no error, but instead based on an “impermissible animus” against the queer community by the current government.
“This was no careless mistake,” the advocates say. “The government has not removed other historical flags at other national monuments, notably Confederate flags.”
The National Park Service quietly removed the flag last week pursuant to a memo from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which mandates that federally maintained parks only fly the American flag, the Department of the Interior flag and the Prisoners of War flag.
The move sparked widespread controversy and condemnation from city elected officials, some of whom congregated at the monument last week to erect another pride flag in its place.
Named after the iconic gay bar Stonewall Inn located across the street — widely seen as the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement — the monument is the only national park dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community.
According to the suing group, that’s precisely why the Trump administration targeted it.
“The assault on Stonewall is the latest example in a long line of efforts by the Trump administration to target the LGBTQ+ community for discrimination and opprobrium,” the advocates claim. “The Trump administration has deleted numerous NPS websites discussing LGBTQ+ history; fired at least one federal employee for displaying a pride flag in his office; banned the use of pronouns in email signatures … and — in a particularly absurd example — even flagged for deletion images of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb, apparently because the images included the word ‘Gay.’”
The group of plaintiffs includes a trio of nonprofits: the Gilbert Baker Foundation, dedicated to the legacy of the creator of the rainbow pride flag; Village Preservation, which preserves the architectural and cultural heritage of Greenwich Village; and Equality New York, a statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy group.
According to the nonprofits, the government’s selective enforcement of the Interior Department flag rule is arbitrary and capricious, thus running afoul of the Administrative Procedure Act. Each organization claims they’ve been forced to divert resources in response to the flag’s removal, giving them standing to sue.
They’re seeking a court order requiring the government to reinstate the flag.
“The government’s decision is deeply disturbing and is just the latest example of the Trump administration targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” said Alexander Kristofcak, a lawyer for the plaintiffs with the Washington Litigation Group. “The Park Service’s policies permit flying flags that provide historical context at monuments. That is precisely what the pride flag does. It provides important context for a monument that honors a watershed moment in LGBTQ+ history.
“At best, the government misread its regulations,” Kristofcak added, “At worst, the government singled out the LGBTQ+ community. Either way, its actions are unlawful.”
A spokesperson for the Interior Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Stonewall flagpole that once bore a large rainbow banner sat bare for several days until last Wednesday, when a U.S. flag took its place.
A day later, city officials including Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams hosted a rally and raised a large pride flag alongside the Stars and Stripes — prompting some jeers from onlookers who wanted the pride flag to fully replace it.
“Take it down!” the crowd shouted. Some shouted “cowards” at the politicians.
In 2016, then-President Barack Obama designated Stonewall Inn and Sheridan Square across the street as a national monument. The Inn was the site of the Stonewall Riots, prompted by a series of police raids at the bar, which then kickstarted nationwide gay rights activism in the late 1960s.
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