A Yosemite National Park Ranger alleges she was fired after hanging a large “transgender” pride flag on the park’s El Capitan rock formation earlier this year.
Shannon “SJ” Joslin, 35, who claims to be a “non-binary” Ranger and biologist, said in an August 18 Instagram post that “I was fired by the temporary Deputy Superintendent for ‘failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct’ in my capacity as a Wildlife Biologist for the park. No part of hanging the flag was done on work time. NOTHING about it had anything to do with my work.”
“[W]e want to emphasize that we take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously, and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences,” National Park Service spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz reportedly said, per Fox News.
Joslin and a coalition called “Trans Is Natural” displayed the flag on May 20 to protest what Joslin described as federal policies under President Donald Trump targeting “transgender” and LGBTQ communities, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Joslin said the display lasted about two hours before being removed voluntarily.
“Raising this flag in the heart of El Capitan is a celebration of our community standing in solidarity with each other and all targeted groups,” Joslin told NBC at the time. “
Others felt differently. “They’re defacing government property,” wrote Libs of TikTok on X. The account attached a video of a drag queen named Pattie Gonia, dressed in costume as a National Park Ranger.
Following the protest, Acting Superintendent Ray McPadden issued a directive banning “any banner, flag, or sign larger than fifteen square feet…or a series or combination of banners, flags, or signs that total more than fifteen square feet” from being displayed without a permit. Park officials said the rule is intended to protect resources and visitor experiences, particularly as El Capitan attracts climbers and more than four million visitors annually.