The Pride flag will once again fly over the Stonewall National Monument in New York, following a federal court order requiring the National Park Service to restore it within seven days. The ruling comes after Lambda Legal and the Washington Litigation Group filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenging the flag’s removal as unconstitutional and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
The National Park Service had removed the flag under a January 21 memorandum issued by Director Jessica Bowron, which restricted displays at national parks to official government flags, with limited exceptions. Plaintiffs argued that the Pride flag qualifies under those exceptions due to Stonewall’s historic significance as the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The court agreed, finding the policy was applied unlawfully in this case.
Attorney Alexander Kristofcak said, “This is a complete victory for our clients and for the LGBTQ+ community.” As part of the settlement, the Pride flag will now be permanently displayed at the monument’s official flagpole.
