The Trump administration agreed to restore the official Pride flag at Stonewall National Monument and maintain it permanently, according to a proposed settlement filed Sunday in the Southern District of New York.
Under the terms announced April 13, the National Park Service will rehang the Pride flag on the monument's official flagpole within seven days and keep it there going forward. The flag will fly below the U.S. flag and above the park service flag. It may be removed only for maintenance or other practical purposes. The court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement.
The settlement resolves *Gilbert Baker Foundation et al. v. U.S. Department of the Interior et al.*, No. 26 Civ. 1317, filed February 17 before U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon. The plaintiffs — the Gilbert Baker Foundation, Charles Beal, Village Preservation, and Equality New York — sued after the government removed the Pride flag from the monument on or about February 9.
The complaint brought claims under the Administrative Procedure Act and sought declaratory relief, arguing the removal was arbitrary and capricious, contradicted the presidential proclamation and foundation documents governing Stonewall's historical mission, and violated consultation requirements tied to the National Historic Preservation Act. The core theory: NPS and DOI policy already permitted flags that provide historical context at a monument, and the Pride flag plainly does so at Stonewall.
"Today, the government has pledged to restore this important symbol back to where it belongs," Lambda Legal said in its announcement of the settlement.
The outcome marks a rare retreat by the administration in its broader push against DEI-related symbols and messaging. Stonewall National Monument is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and history, and the case tested whether the federal government could strip an LGBTQ+ symbol from a site specifically created to commemorate that history while claiming to preserve the site's meaning.
The proposed settlement was filed for Judge Rochon's approval. It was not immediately clear whether the agreement includes attorney's fees or any broader injunctive terms beyond flag restoration and maintenance.