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The Trump administration has agreed to return the Pride flag to the Stonewall National Monument in New York City, following a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ groups and historic preservation allies. The flag was removed from the Greenwich Village monument in February, prompting legal action. The Parks Department will reinstall the rainbow flag on the monument's official flagpole within the next week. Once the flag is returned, the lawsuit will be dropped.
The agreement comes after the administration faced backlash for removing the flag, which many saw as an attempt to erase LGBTQ+ history. According to a joint court filing, the Interior Department and National Park Service confirmed their intention to maintain the Pride flag at Stonewall. The U.S. flag will fly above the Pride flag, in accordance with the U.S. flag code.
The removal of the flag was initially justified by a park service memo restricting certain flag displays. However, flags providing "historical context" are exempt. The Stonewall National Monument, established by former President Barack Obama in 2016, commemorates the site of the 1969 uprising that ignited the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who organized a protest following the flag's removal, celebrated the decision. "We fought the Trump administration and won," he said. The settlement ensures the Pride flag will remain at Stonewall, except for practical reasons like maintenance.
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