Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced plans to introduce legislation that would grant the Pride flag the same congressional recognition as the U.S. flag, military flags, POW/MIA flags, and other banners formally authorized by Congress, as reported [1] by Fox News.
Schumer’s proposal comes after the Trump administration removed a Pride flag earlier this month from a national monument outside the Stonewall Inn in New York City.
The site marks the location of a 1960s clash between police and patrons at a gay bar, an event widely viewed as the beginning of the modern gay rights movement.
We already have a flag that represents everyone.
It’s called the American flag, and it stands alone. https://t.co/KxL4DYUQtW [2]
— Rep. Claudia Tenney (@RepTenney) February 16, 2026 [3]
Under Schumer’s legislation, the Pride flag would be designated as a congressionally authorized flag, a move that would place it on a similar legal footing with flags currently protected under federal law.
Those protections apply to the U.S. flag, official military flags, the POW/MIA flag, and other banners recognized by Congress.
“Stonewall is sacred ground, and Congress must act now to permanently protect the Pride flag and what it stands for,” Schumer said. “Trump’s hateful crusade must end.”
The Pride flag has since been reinstalled atop the flagpole outside the Stonewall Inn. Schumer said his legislative effort is intended to prevent it from being removed again in the future.
President Donald Trump has not explicitly targeted the Pride flag. However, he previously signed an executive order restricting which flags may be displayed on federal property to ensure that only the U.S. flag is prominently flown.
Following that order, the Pride flag at the Stonewall National Monument was removed after an internal memo from the Department of the Interior directed that “non-agency” flags at national parks be taken down.
The directive was signed in late January by National Park Service Acting Director Jessica Bowron.
It included exceptions for certain types of flags, such as historical flags, military flags, and federally recognized flags from tribal nations.
The Stonewall National Monument, designated in 2016 by former President Barack Obama, is overseen by the National Park Service.
The Pride flag flying on a large pole outside the Stonewall Inn was not included in the list of protected flags under the Interior Department directive.
Schumer argued that his legislation would give national parks greater discretion over which flags can be displayed.
“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 its own decision about what flag can be flown,” Schumer said.
“Attempts to hurt New York and the LGBTQ community simply won’t fly, but the Stonewall Pride flag always will.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) just announced plans to introduce legislation making the Pride flag a “congressionally authorized” symbol—giving it the same status as the American flag.
How can any true Christian back this? Democrats are obsessed with shoving this perversion and… pic.twitter.com/VDVRsnvG00 [4]
— Reverend Jordan Wells (@WellsJorda89710) February 16, 2026 [5]
The proposed bill is expected to spark debate in Congress over the scope of federal flag protections and the display of symbolic banners on government property.