Editorial | Restore the Pride flag to its rightful place at Stonewall | amNewYork

"Stonewall was the foundation of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, beginning with the riots of 1969. The rainbow colors were a product of the movement born out of Stonewall one that, to this day, demands recognition and respect for all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. For the Pride flag not to fly over the very monument dedicated to every person who fought through the decades for that recognition and respect is the height of ignorance for LGBTQ+ Americans."

"Then there's the brazen ignorance of the second Trump administration, truly a group that thinks it can do whatever it wants, whenever it wants, to harm as many people as humanly possible. It has tried to dehumanize the transgender community by restricting access to gender-affirming care and seeking to take the T out of LGBTQ+ by removing references to the transgender community from the Stonewall Monument's site. Later, it also removed references to bisexual Americans."

Stonewall served as the foundation of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, originating with the 1969 riots, and the rainbow Pride colors emerged from that movement. The Trump administration removed the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument, withholding a symbol dedicated to people who fought for recognition and respect regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. The administration also restricted references to transgender and later to bisexual Americans on the Stonewall Monument site and attempted to limit access to gender-affirming care. The Department of the Interior responded to outrage with a statement attacking elected officials and disputing the city's quality of life. The removals threaten LGBTQ+ visibility and rights.

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