Trump administration reverses decision to remove Pride flag from Stonewall monument

[Episcopal News Service] After an outcry from supporters of the LGBTQ+ community, including Episcopal leaders, the Trump administration has reversed its decision to remove the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument in New York, a landmark of the gay rights movement.

The reversal follows an agreement to settle a lawsuit filed in federal court by several nonprofit groups.

“The government has acknowledged what we argued from day one: The Pride flag belongs at Stonewall,” Alexander Kristofcak, the plaintiff’s lead lawyer, said April 13 in a statement quoted by The New York Times. “The flag will be restored, it will fly officially and permanently, and the court will stand ready to enforce that commitment.”

The Pride flag at Stonewall was first removed in February, sparking sharp criticism of the Trump administration.

“At St. Luke in the Fields, we rejoice that there is still some justice in the land. However, it is only a partial victory because the more inclusive Progress Pride flag is not included in the ruling. The Progress Pride flag includes the black/brown stripes representing LGBTQ+ communities of color and those lost to or living with HIV/AIDS, and the white/pink/light blue stripes representing the transgender/non-binary community,” the Rev. Caroline Stacey, rector of St. Luke in the Fields Episcopal Church in New York’s West Village, told Episcopal News Service. The church is located about two blocks from the monument.

“We cannot rest until all our neighbors in the LGBTQ+ and queer community find safety, inclusion and belonging,” she said. “The gospel calls each of us to vigilance and action for human dignity, civil rights and freedom as persecution and oppression of selected groups continues. This work is central to fulfilling God’s dream for humanity.”

Stonewall National Monument is the site of the Stonewall riots, also known as the Stonewall Uprising, a series of gay liberation protests that took place in 1969 in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar that’s still in operation. In 2016, then-President Barack Obama designated Stonewall the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and history.

“The lesson of Stonewall is our dignity cannot be erased and that our people cannot be silenced,” the Diocese of New York said in a February post on Facebook protesting the flag’s removal.

In response to the April 13 announcement, New York Bishop Matthew Heyd told ENS, “Taking down the Pride flag from Stonewall was unjust and the reversal is right.   There’s more to do. The administration continues to target the LGBTQ+ community. We believe we are all created in the image and likeness of God. We’ll continue to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ siblings.”