Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said he and other New York City politicians will try to re-raise the rainbow flag at the Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan on Thursday after the National Park Service (NPS) removed it under an order from the administration of President Donald Trump.

“The mean-spiritedness of the Trump administration seems to know no bounds, Hoylman-Sigal told Politico. “But we as a community are not going to take it standing by idly as our history, and by extension our human rights, are attempted to be erased.”

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Trump admin removes Pride flag from Stonewall monument in “deliberate act of erasure”

“We may be prevented from [re-raising the flag],” he added. “But if we don’t seize this moment, and this outrage, I think we’ll let down generations of queer activists.”

Numerous other New York politicians also criticized the NPS’ removal of the flag.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote, “I am outraged by the removal of the Rainbow Pride Flag from Stonewall National Monument. New York is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and no act of erasure will ever change, or silence, that history. Our city has a duty not just to honor this legacy, but to live up to it. I will always fight for a New York City that invests in our LGBTQ+ community, defends their dignity, and protects every one of our neighbors — without exception.”

I am outraged by the removal of the Rainbow Pride Flag from Stonewall National Monument. New York is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and no act of erasure will ever change, or silence, that history.

Our city has a duty not just to honor this legacy, but to…

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) February 10, 2026

Gay New York State Sen. Erik Bottcher (D) wrote, “This is a deliberate act of erasure. This is a cowardly attempt to rewrite history and intimidate our community. Stonewall is where we fought back, and we are not going backwards. We will not be erased, we will not be silenced, and the Pride flag will fly again.”

This is a deliberate act of erasure. This is a cowardly attempt to rewrite history and intimidate our community. Stonewall is where we fought back, and we are not going backwards. We will not be erased, we will not be silenced, and the Pride flag will fly again. pic.twitter.com/1WWq9NWWgf

— Erik Bottcher (@ebottcher) February 10, 2026

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin (D) wrote, “Stonewall is sacred ground. It is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and the removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument is a deliberate and cowardly attempt to erase that history. This is an attack on LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, and we will not stand for it. Our history will not be rewritten, and our rights will not be rolled back.”

Stonewall is sacred ground. It is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and the removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument is a deliberate and cowardly attempt to erase that history.

This is an attack on LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, and we will not… https://t.co/CsLBOHbYh5

— Speaker Julie Menin (@SpeakerMenin) February 10, 2026

In a letter to NPS, Menin and New York City Councilmembers Chi Ossé (D) and Justin Sanchez (D) — who both co-chair the council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus —wrote that the decision to remove the flag “sends a deeply troubling message” that shows “we are willing to sanitize and erase our history and the very values that make America great.”

The letter demanded the return of the flag, an explanation of why it was removed, and what steps NPS “will take to ensure that the Stonewall National Monument continues to reflect the truth of its history and the community it represents.”

In a letter to the @NatlParkService, @SpeakerMenin, alongside LGBTQIA+ Caucus Co-Chairs @CMChiOsse and Justin Sanchez, denounced the Trump administration’s removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument and urged its immediate return. pic.twitter.com/mIul6SrKNH

— New York City Council (@NYCCouncil) February 10, 2026

Christopher Street Executive Director Tyler Hack wrote, “The Pride flag was removed from Stonewall for one reason: to further erase queer and trans people from public life. Stonewall marks a moment when queer and trans people fought back and demanded dignity — its very existence poses a threat to an administration hellbent on employing state violence against anyone who does not look, pray, or love like them.”

Last February, NPS removed all mentions of transgender people from its webpage on Stonewall to comply with Trump’s executive orders prohibiting any federal recognition of trans people in any aspect of civic life. It subsequently removed references to bisexual people, too.

Numerous federal webpages began removing mentions of trans people and gender identity after a January 29 directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) telling federal agencies to “end federal funding of gender ideology” in programming, policies, and outward-facing media. The directive reflects Republicans’ larger crusade against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by government bodies and private businesses.

Steven Love Menendez, an NPS flag caretaker, told Gay City News that removing the Pride flag is “a hateful and petty act from a hateful administration.”

“They have no idea what the meaning of love and community is. They are hellbent on harming as many marginalized groups as they possibly can. They have no compassion, kindness, or soul.”

He wondered why the Pride flag would not count as a “limited exception” for a monument focused on LGBTQ+ rights, given the administration’s guidance says that exemptions to its rules include flags that “provide historical context.”

Before the most recent Pride flag’s removal, the administration had already banned the Trans Pride flag and the Progress Pride flag from flying at the monument. The first Trump administration also directed efforts at keeping the Pride flag away from Stonewall.

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