The Trump administration quietly settled a lawsuit seeking to restore a pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument in the West Village, abruptly agreeing to allow the flag to fly.
In a stunning reversal, federal attorneys agreed that the iconic gay rights monument can restore the flag that federal workers removed back in February, claiming that rules stated only authorized flags could fly on federal flagpoles.
The move provoked outrage, but now the government agrees that three flags of equal size will be permitted at Stonewall: the American flag, the rainbow Pride flag and a National Park Service flag, according to a federal court filing Monday.
The lawsuit was brought by a slew of non-profit organizations that accused the government of targeting a symbol of gay pride exclusively.
In another departure from the Trump administration’s efforts to separate itself from various LGBTQ issues, the government also agreed that they would not pursue removal of the Pride flag in the future, “save for maintenance or other practical purposes,” the settlement agreement reads.
While the proposed settlement was filed on Monday, it will only become final once signed by a judge.
