California park ranger fired after helping hang transgender pride flag on popular Yosemite monolith
A non-binary park ranger has been dismissed from Yosemite National Park after hanging a transgender pride flag from El Capitan, the park’s iconic granite monolith, in May.
Shannon “SJ” Joslin, 35, was hired in 2021 as a ranger and wildlife biologist — a role they described as their “dream job.” According to Joslin, they were fired on August 12 for “failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct” as a National Park Service (NPS) employee. They allege the termination violates their First Amendment rights.
“I want my rights and I want my career back,” Joslin wrote in a statement on Instagram, adding that the flag was displayed during their personal time and unrelated to their official duties. “NOTHING about it had anything to do with my work,” they said.
Joslin emphasized their commitment to the National Park Service, noting they worked overtime and accepted a lower salary despite holding a Ph.D. in bioinformatics — qualifications that could earn them significantly more in the private sector.
“I’m devastated,” Joslin told NBC News. “We don’t take our positions in the park service to make money or to have any kind of huge career gains. We take it because we love the places that we work.”
They said the decision to hang the flag was influenced by policy changes under former President Trump, including an executive order that barred transgender women from participating in women’s sports — a move Joslin said left them feeling targeted as a non-binary person.
The flag was reportedly removed after two hours at the direction of park officials. Joslin noted that, at the time, no specific rule or violation was cited. However, the following day, the park issued a new regulation banning the display of large flags in designated wilderness areas. Within a week, Joslin said a criminal investigation was opened, eventually leading to their dismissal three months later.
Joslin also claimed they and two other NPS employees being investigated in connection with the flag display are the only individuals ever disciplined for hanging a flag on El Capitan.
In a statement to media outlets, a Yosemite National Park spokesperson confirmed that administrative actions are being considered against multiple employees for allegedly violating park regulations. The NPS also indicated that criminal charges may be pursued against some park visitors involved in the incident, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Joslin has pledged to challenge their dismissal, citing an executive order issued during the Trump administration intended to protect First Amendment rights and fight federal censorship.
“Preservation has been my life’s work — of Yosemite, the wildlife, the land, recreation, people’s rights and safety, of community and acceptance, and now the Constitutional First Amendment,” Joslin said.
The National Park Service operates under the U.S. Department of the Interior, currently overseen by former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
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