Boston University announced this week that it will temporarily stop removing signs and Pride flags from campus buildings following a growing community backlash.
In a heartfelt email sent to Boston University community members, President Melissa Gilliam apologized for the practice saying it disproportionately affected people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
"I am deeply sorry,'' she wrote in the email. "Issues of speech can be complicated, but our institutional values are not. Let me be unequivocal: LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff are an essential part of Boston University. You belong here and are needed here. You are valued and have our support. We remain committed to ensuring all members of this University feel welcome, feel respected, and can thrive."
Gilliam put a temporary halt on the policy amidst escalating concerns about the university's practice of removing outward-facing flags and signs. About three weeks ago, a group of Boston University faculty sent Gilliam a letter urging her to take action after several professors reported that Pride flags or other signs had been removed.
Last week, a group out of Philadelphia, called the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, also called on the university to take action. Adding to pressure, other faculty and staff joined in the protest, as flags appeared on more windows across campus.
Boston University professor Nathan Phillips — who had been outspoken about the removal of the Pride flag in his office window — told GBH News he's happy about the president's change of opinion.
"It's just the power of numbers and the power of people. Too many flags went up in too many offices for the administration to take it to the next level," he said. "They were asking for a fight that they would not be able to win."
Gilliam acknowledged in the email that the policy had been garnering "a great deal of conversation" in the community and among the university's leadership.
"What began as questions regarding a long-standing, routine University policy has evolved into something that has surfaced deep questions and concerns for many of us about belonging, expression, safety, and respect,'' she wrote. "These issues deserve our full attention, now and always.''
Gilliam said she was "troubled" over the conflation of policy with the university core values. "It signals to me that we need more time and opportunity to consider these matters," she said.
"Our community is tens of thousands of people strong; we come from different backgrounds and have a range of opinions and viewpoints. We will not always agree on every issue — nor should we. We do not need to shy away from difficult conversations."
Graham Piro, a fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression in Philadelphia, also praised the university's decision to stand down.
"FIRE is pleased that BU has halted its takedown of faculty flags,'' he said. "On college campuses, flags often serve as a visible and accessible way for students and faculty to express their identities and beliefs."
Other Boston University faculty members said they worried about the temporary nature of the decision. "While it was good to see the harm caused by the removal of Pride flags addressed, the statement did not address the larger pattern of free speech suppression at BU,'' said professor Joseph Harris, who had co-authored a recent letter to the president.
Laura Jiménez, an associate dean of equity, diversity, and inclusion at the BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, says she's already seeing more flags visible from campus windows this week.
She says this was the "best possible outcome" for the current dispute.
"We need in this time, symbols, to give people hope, faith, a sense of belonging, a sense of safety,'' she said. "I don't think they're separate."
Copyright 2026 GBH News Boston