The National Park Service will restore the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in New York after a settlement was struck Monday between the government and a group of nonprofit organizations.
In February, the Trump administration ordered the removal of the rainbow flag from the first national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+, citing official Department of Interior policy restricting nongovernment flags.
The settlement means the Pride flag complies with official policy, so the government must rehang it permanently within seven days.
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“This is a complete victory for our clients and for the LGBTQ+ community,” Alexander Kristofcak, lead counsel for the plaintiffs and a lawyer with Washington Litigation Group, said Monday in a statement. “The government has acknowledged what we argued from day one: the Pride flag belongs at Stonewall. The flag will be restored and it will fly officially and permanently. And we will remain vigilant to ensure that the government sticks to the deal.”
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.
The removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument was one of several instances of the National Park Service removing historical references to marginalized groups, including the removal of an exhibit depicting slavery under George Washington from Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia in January.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.