Why the Stonewall Pride flag came down and what's next

"If you walked past the Stonewall National Monument this week and noticed something missing, you weren't imagining it. The large Pride flag that had flown inside the federally managed park disappeared after a new directive from President Donald Trump's administration tightened rules around which flags can fly at National Park Service sites-sparking protests, political pushback and plans to put it right back up."

"In January, the Department of the Interior issued guidance stating that most NPS-managed poles may display only the American flag and other flags authorized by Congress or the department, with limited exceptions. The agency said "changes to flag displays are made to ensure consistency with that guidance." That's why federal employees removed the Pride flag, not because the city voted to take it down."

"The flag itself has a surprisingly complicated history. When the monument was designated in 2016, the Pride flag wasn't initially a permanent fixture. During Trump's first term, the Park Service briefly installed one and then backed away after determining the pole was actually on city land. Later, during then President Joe Biden's administration, the agency installed its own Pride flag inside the park-the first long-term rainbow flag on federal property there-which is the one removed this week."

"Local leaders have framed the move as symbolic. Council Speaker Julie Menin said the flag "was taken in the middle of the night," at a Thursday news conference, adding, "There was no discussion. There was no warning. It was taken.""

A Department of the Interior directive limited most National Park Service flagpoles to the American flag and flags authorized by Congress or the department. Federal employees removed the long-term Pride flag flown inside Stonewall National Monument under that guidance. The Pride flag had a contested history: it was not a permanent fixture when the site was designated in 2016, was briefly installed then removed during Trump's first term after a land-location dispute, and was later installed as a long-term flag during President Biden's administration. Local leaders characterized the removal as symbolic and have signaled plans and pushback to restore the flag.

Read at Time Out New York