Stonewall National Monument Added To List Of Endangered Places

May 21, 2026 Rachel Kiley

People put up an LGBTQ+ Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument after the Trump administration had the National Park Service remove it

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: People put up an LGBTQ+ Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument after the Trump administration had the National Park Service remove it earlier in the week on February 12, 2026 in New York City. Activists gathered at the park in protest and to watch the flag be reinstalled at the site, which is considered the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. A temporary flag was raised by local politicians, only to be taken down moments later by activists, who put it on the permanent flagpole with the American Flag. The monument recognizes The Stonewall Inn, a legendary Manhattan gay bar that was the site of a 1969 uprising credited as a turning point in the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The decision to take down the flag has drawn backlash from national civil rights groups, LGBTQ+ advocates, and New York officials. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The National Trust cites “federal actions and policy changes” as the reason for its endangerment.

Featured Image: Pride flag is returned to the Stonewall National Monument in February 2026 after it was removed by the Trump administration. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Stonewall National Monument is officially an endangered place.

Every year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation compiles and releases a list of endangered places with historical significance across the United States. This year’s list focuses on places tied to the idea of equality for all people, but that are currently facing challenges for various reasons.

Among the 11 locations highlighted for 2026 is the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. The area was designated a historic monument by the federal government back in 2016 in recognition of the 1969 Stonewall riots, considered to be the launching point of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

According to the list, the Stonewall National Monument is considered endangered due to “federal actions and policy changes that endanger the site’s historically accurate interpretation, community representation, and educational impact.”

In February of this year, the familiar rainbow flag was removed from the site due to a declaration under the Trump administration aimed at controlling what types of flags can be on display in certain areas under government jurisdiction. The flag was ultimately restored to the monument after two months of protests and legal action.

But that isn’t the only challenge the Stonewall National Monument has faced under the Trump administration. Last year, mentions of transgender people were quietly removed from the official website. Although the current culture wars against trans inclusion and visibility come as no surprise, erasing trans people from the history of Stonewall is particularly egregious considering the key roles Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and other trans women played in the uprising.

Unique to this year’s list, all 11 spots deemed endangered by the National Trust will receive a $25,000 grant to help preserve their history. The other places on the list include the Ben Moore Hotel, Tule Lake Segregation Center, Angel Island Immigration Station, Swansea Friends Meeting House, Detroit Association of Women’s Clubs, Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape, Women’s Rights National Historical Park, The President’s House Site, Hanging Rock Revolutionary War Battlefield, and El Corazón Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesús.