BU pauses Pride flag removals after protests

Policy review announced after students and faculty rally over enforcement of signage rules affecting LGBTQ+ displays

Boston University has paused enforcement of a campus signage policy that led to the removal of Pride flags from some offices after protests by students, faculty and staff earlier this month.

University President Melissa Gilliam announced April 6 that the school would temporarily halt enforcement of the rule while administrators review the policy and its impact on the campus community, according to WBUR.

The controversy centers on a university policy that restricts signs, posters or flags mounted in outward-facing windows or attached to university property. Administrators said the rule is intended to apply to all signage regardless of viewpoint, according to information published by the university about its posted-materials policy.

University officials began asking some offices to remove outward-facing Pride flags in 2025, and the issue intensified during the spring semester when additional flags were taken down in campus buildings, according to Boston.com.

The removals prompted criticism from members of the university community who said the policy disproportionately affected LGBTQ+ visibility on campus.

On April 2, students, faculty, alumni and staff gathered outside Boston University's administrative offices to protest the removals and call for changes to the policy, according to Boston.com. Organizers also circulated a petition seeking to allow Pride flags and similar displays in office windows.

In her message announcing the pause, Gilliam said the university needed more time to evaluate the policy and acknowledged that the controversy had been painful for members of the LGBTQ+ community, WBUR reported.

University officials said discussions about the policy and possible revisions will continue.