On a crisp May morning in 2025, the sheer granite face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park became the backdrop for a striking display: a massive, pink, blue, and white transgender pride flag unfurled beneath the Heart Ledges, a symbolic spot near the literal and figurative heart of the iconic rock. The flag, weighing 58 pounds, hung for two hours—an act meant, in the words of its organizer, to signal acceptance and safety for all who visit America’s most revered national parks.
But what began as a celebration of identity quickly escalated into a national controversy, pitting questions of free speech and inclusion against the rules and traditions of the National Park Service. At the center of the storm stands Shannon "SJ" Joslin, a wildlife biologist and ranger who, after more than four years of service, now finds themselves terminated from their post and at the heart of a heated legal and political battle.
According to KSEE/KGPE, Joslin was fired for "failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct" as a National Park Service (NPS) employee, though they insist the real reason was their off-duty participation in displaying the transgender pride flag. Joslin maintains that they were acting as a private citizen, on their own time, and without using any park resources. "I hung the flag in my free time, off-duty, as a private citizen. It flew for a total of two hours in the morning, and then I took it down. El Capitan has had flags hung on it for decades, and no one has ever been punished for it," Joslin wrote in a social media post, as reported by Green Matters.
Joslin’s record as a park employee, by their own account and that of supporters, was exemplary. They volunteered for extra overtime during harsh weather to keep Yosemite accessible, obtained additional certifications for emergency response, and received nothing but praise for their dedication. As environmentalist Pattie Gonia told KSEE/KGPE, "SJ is a respected pillar within the Yosemite community, a tireless volunteer who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the safety of visitors in one of the country’s most revered national parks. To strip SJ of their position is not only an affront to their personal freedom but an attack on the very values of service, dedication, and community that SJ embodies. This is about silencing those who oppose injustice and we must not let that happen."
But the National Park Service sees the matter differently. In a statement to KQED, NPS spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz confirmed that administrative action is being pursued against multiple employees, citing violations of park regulations. "There have been multiple unauthorized demonstrations involving El Capitan, and displaying signs, banners, and flags outside of designated First Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience and the protection of the park," Pawlitz wrote. Demonstrations in Yosemite require a permit and are limited to specific First Amendment zones. The day after Joslin’s flag was displayed, the park updated its Superintendent’s Compendium to criminalize the flying of certain flags—specifically banning large flags over 15 square feet in wilderness areas.
Joslin’s supporters argue that this new policy, enacted immediately after the trans flag display, is evidence of selective enforcement. "Hanging flags on El Capitan goes back decades," Joslin told KQED, referencing a "Stop the Genocide" flag in 2024 and an upside-down American flag flown in February 2025 to protest federal cuts—neither of which resulted in prosecution. "Yet, we are the only group of people that have been prosecuted for hanging a flag." In fact, several others involved in the May display, including two other park rangers, are now under investigation by the NPS and the U.S. Justice Department, with potential federal charges looming, according to Green Matters.
The case has drawn national attention and sparked outrage among LGBTQ+ advocates, legal groups, and public lands activists. Joanna Citron Day, general counsel at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, told KQED that Joslin’s firing was arbitrary and "politically motivated." "SJ got fired for exercising their First Amendment right—period. The message it sends is be scared and be quiet." Similar sentiments were echoed by Pattie Gonia, who called the firing "a targeted move by the Trump administration to silence and punish anyone who practices free speech and dares to stand in defiance of the erasure of trans people."
Joslin themselves has been outspoken about the wider implications of their dismissal. "I was really hurting because there were a lot of policies coming from the current administration that target trans people, and I’m nonbinary," Joslin told the Associated Press, as reported by Green Matters. They explained that the flag was meant to let visitors know that "everyone is welcome in the park, no matter how they identify." In a written statement, Joslin further argued that their firing violates their First Amendment rights and is in direct conflict with President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order on "Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship." "If this administration starts telling park rangers we are not allowed the constitutional right of free speech as private civilians, what is to stop them from taking it from you next?" Joslin wrote.
The Park Service, meanwhile, has defended its actions by pointing to the need for consistency and the protection of park resources. "We 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," Pawlitz stated to KQED. The agency maintains that regardless of intent, unauthorized displays—especially those outside designated zones—are not permitted and detract from the visitor experience.
For some, the controversy highlights a growing tension between federal employees’ rights and the politicization of government service. Elizabeth Villano, an organizer with Resistance Rangers, told KQED that the Trump administration’s efforts to "weed out" dissenting voices from nonpartisan jobs are making public service increasingly ideological. "What the Trump administration is trying to do is to make sure that those people who are on the ground in these bipartisan jobs are only supporting his agenda. It seems as though what they’re slowly trying to do is weed out the people who disagree with them." Villano added that while strict rules govern rangers’ conduct on duty, those rules "don’t apply when they are off-duty."
As the legal process unfolds, Joslin has vowed to pursue reinstatement and continue their advocacy for inclusion. "I think that my firing is a signal to other federal workers, especially NPS workers, that if you don’t comply with the ideology or the message that this current administration wants to send, then you will be eliminated," Joslin said. "I really care about Yosemite National Park and I want to continue caring for it in my role as a wildlife biologist."
The outcome of Joslin’s case may set a precedent for how federal agencies balance employee expression and institutional rules—a question with implications far beyond the granite walls of Yosemite.
