The Trump administration has agreed to let a rainbow LGBTQ+ Pride flag keep flying at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. The decision reverses an earlier move to remove the flag in February, which led to protests and a lawsuit.
Court filings made public on Monday, April 13th, show the proposed settlement. The Interior Department and National Park Service confirmed the plan, according to the Associated Press. A federal judge still needs to approve the agreement.
Three Flags on Monument Pole
Under the settlement terms, three flags will fly on the monument’s flagpole: the American flag, the National Park Service flag, and the rainbow Pride flag placed between them. The Pride flag will stay up except for temporary removal during maintenance or other practical needs.
The Trump administration quietly settled a lawsuit seeking to restore a pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in the West Village.
In a stunning reversal, federal attorneys agreed that the iconic gay rights monument can restore the flag that federal workers removed back in February, claiming that rules stated only authorized flags could fly on federal flagpoles.
The move provoked outrage, but now the government agrees that three flags of equal size will be permitted at Stonewall: the American flag, the rainbow Pride flag and a National Park Service flag, according to a federal court filing Monday.
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The lawsuit was brought by a slew of non-profit organizations that accused the government of targeting a symbol of gay pride exclusively.
In the settlement, the government also agreed that they would not pursue removal of the Pride flag in the future, “save for maintenance or other practical purposes.”
The reversal happened quietly. It marks a departure from the Trump administration’s efforts to separate itself from various LGBTQ issues.
A protest against the Trump administration removing the rainbow Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan took place on Feb. 12, 2026. New York politicians and activists raised a new Pride flag at Christopher Park across the street from the Stonewall Inn on the same day.
The Stonewall National Monument marks the site of the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, a key event in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. The National Park Service manages the site.
The administration’s earlier decision to take down the flag drew criticism from Democratic officials and legal action from LGBTQ+ groups and historic preservation organizations. Protests followed the removal.
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Settlement Ends Legal Challenges
The proposed settlement aims to resolve the lawsuits. Interior Department officials stated that the National Park Service will keep the flag in place going forward.
This marks a shift from the initial position taken earlier this year. The reversal came after public pushback and court proceedings.
The decision keeps the Pride flag at a nationally recognized historic site tied to LGBTQ+ history. It follows protests and legal action after the initial removal.
The case drew attention because it involves federal management of a public monument in a major city and the display of symbols linked to civil rights.
