The Trump administration has given approval for the LGBTQ rainbow flag to once again fly above New York’s Stonewall, a US national monument to the struggle for gay equality, a rights group that sued for its return said Monday.
The administration had previously removed the flag in February from the listed site in Manhattan, under a National Park Service edict prohibiting the display of flags other than the Stars and Stripes, with some limited exceptions.
The Stonewall National Monument honours the riots that broke out in June 1969 following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay pub in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. This incident served as a catalyst for LGBTQ advocacy in the United States.
The government agreed to permanently reinstall the flag as part of a settlement, according to the Washington Litigation Group, which filed a lawsuit in New York to demand the return of the rainbow hues.
“The government has acknowledged what we argued from day one: the Pride flag belongs at Stonewall. The flag will be restored, and it will fly officially and permanently. And we will remain vigilant to ensure that the government sticks to the deal,” said Alexander Kristofcak, lead counsel for plaintiffs and a lawyer with Washington Litigation Group.
They made the argument that unofficial flags may be allowed on some locations, provided that their display is supported by a historical context. The government agreed with this argument.
Many local political officials and LGBTQ organisations were incensed at the removal of the Stonewall rainbow flag.
Activists erected a replacement flag in protest.
US President Donald Trump has slowed the advancement of LGBTQ rights since taking office again, especially with regard to transgender rights.
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