Chuck Schumer leads New York Democrats’ bill to protect Pride flags at Stonewall & national park sites

Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday to protect the Pride flag at national park sites, including New York City's Stonewall National Monument, after the Trump administration previously ordered the flag removed from the historic LGBTQ+ landmark.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced last week that he was drafting a bill to codify federal protections for the flag. The move came after President Donald Trump prohibited its display on certain government properties, including national parks. The bill was introduced in the House and the Senate by Schumer, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, and U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, all Democrats from New York, on Wednesday.

Trump’s directive spurred the Pride flag’s removal from Stonewall, a historic site where riots against police raids in 1969 propelled the gay rights movement. Property just outside the Stonewall Inn was designated as a national monument under President Barack Obama in 2016.

“Stonewall is sacred ground, and Congress must act now to permanently protect the Pride flag,” Schumer said in a statement. “The very core of American identity is liberty and justice for all. And that is what this legislation would protect: each national park’s ability to make their own decision about what flag can be flown.”

Related: Chuck Schumer drafts bill to protect Pride flags at national park sites like Stonewall memorial

The bill would give the Pride flag congressionally authorized status, allowing its display on federal property. The bill also condemns the removal of the Pride flag at Stonewall, and urges its restoration.

“President Trump’s removal of the Pride flag at Stonewall was just the latest in an endless series of gratuitous and cruel attacks on the LGBTQ+ community,” Goldman said Wednesday. “We’re introducing legislation to make sure it can’t be taken down again.”

The flag in question had been displayed at Stonewall since 2022, and its removal met swift blowback from New York City residents, civil rights groups, and elected officials.

Local leaders raised a new Pride flag at the monument site on February 12, despite Trump’s order. The New York City Council passed a resolution condemning the flag’s removal. And two federal lawsuits were filed challenging the federal government’s authority to remove the flag outright.

Related: Hundreds fill the streets near Stonewall as NYC community members reraised Pride flag Trump ordered removed

The banner at Stonewall was the first LGBTQ+ Pride flag to be permanently raised on federal land.

“Stonewall is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ movement, and removing the rainbow flag was a blatant attempt to erase our nation’s history,” Gillibrand said Wednesday. “We can’t let this sort of hateful act happen ever again.”

This article was written as part of the Future of Queer Media fellowship program at The Advocate, which is underwritten by a generous gift from Morrison Media Group. The program helps support the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists.