NEW YORK – Hundreds gathered to watch as New York officials re-raised the LGBTQ+ pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument, FOX 5 NY’s Kendall Green reports.
Pride flag re-raised at Stonewall
What we know:
New York officials re-raised the pride flag two days after the Trump administration removed it from the monument.
Local officials like New York State Sen. Erik Bottcher re-raised the flag earlier today, Feb. 12, at 4 p.m.
Green spoke to one individual in the crowd about the flag’s removal: “This is a local park. Our people fought for that flag, and the right to be who they are.”
The historic site is considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ movement.
The backstory:
The pride flag was removed on Feb. 10 in response to a memo the Trump administration issued last month.
According to the memo, only these specific flags are permitted to fly at national park sites:
What they’re saying:
The U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Communications sent this statement to FOX 5 NY earlier this week:
“The policy governing flag displays on federal property has been in place for decades. Recent guidance clarifies how that longstanding policy is applied consistently across NPS-managed sites.
Under government-wide guidance, including General Services Administration policy and Department of the Interior direction, only the U.S. flag and other congressionally or departmentally authorized flags are flown on NPS-managed flagpoles, with limited exceptions. Any changes to flag displays are made to ensure consistency with that guidance. Stonewall National Monument continues to preserve and interpret the site’s historic significance through exhibits and programs.”
The Trump administration has yet to respond to the re-raising of the flag.
The Source: This article includes reporting from FOX 5 NY’s Kendall Green.