Three months after a group of climbers hung a transgender pride flag from El Capitan, an iconic rock formation in Yosemite, the National Park Service fired a park ranger who was involved in the display, the former employee said.
Shannon “SJ” Joslin was terminated last week after working for nearly five years as a ranger and wildlife biologist at the northern California national park, Joslin wrote in a social media post Monday that has since garnered widespread attention online.
“In May I hung a trans flag on El Capitan that celebrated my acceptance of my identity,” Joslin captioned the post. “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.”
Joslin referred to their ranger position as a “dream job.” They were fired by a park official for “failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct” in their role as a Yosemite wildlife biologist, according to the social media post, which accuses the National Park Service of violating their constitutional rights to free expression.
“Preservation has been my life’s work—of Yosemite, the wildlife, the land, recreation, of peoples rights and safety, of community and acceptance, and now the Constitutional First Amendment,” Joslin wrote, adding, “I want my rights and I want my career back.”
The National Park Service said in a statement that its leadership, along with authorities at the U.S. Department of Justice, “are pursuing administrative action against several Yosemite National Park employees and possible criminal charges against several park visitors who are alleged to have violated federal laws and regulations related to demonstrations.”
The statement did not specify what laws and regulations were violated. It said the park service could not share details about “the specifics of personnel actions or criminal investigations” related to the matter.
The flag that Joslin helped mount flew briefly from a spot near the summit of El Capitan, which towers over Yosemite Valley and is the park’s most recognizable landmark, on May 20.
The next day the park’s acting superintendent signed an updated compendium, dated May 20, which includes regulations banning large banners, flags or signs displayed in the wilderness without a permit. Also included in the compendium are rules governing demonstrations within the park, which similarly require permits unless they involve fewer than 25 people and take place in one of the park’s designated “free speech locations.”
A previous version of the compendium, dated May 22, 2024, which was linked to the Yosemite website as recently as May 1, 2025, did not include a regulation about banners and flags.
Flags and banners have been hung from Yosemite’s El Capitan in the past, including an upside-down American flag in February in response to the Trump administration’s firings of federal workers and a banner in protest of the war in Gaza last June. The upside-down American flag also was hung by workers at the national park.
The people involved in stringing up the trans pride flag in May described it as “an epic reminder that queer people belong everywhere—on big walls, on the trails, and serving and protecting our public lands.” It appeared on the rock formation in the weeks leading up to Pride Month, and as critics of the Trump administration saw policy decisions continue to target transgender Americans.
In its statement, the National Park Service said “several unauthorized demonstrations involving El Capitan generated numerous complaints from visitors,” in 2024, but did not elaborate on what demonstrations.
“No matter the cause, displaying signs, banners, and flags outside of designated First-Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience and the protection of the park,” the statement said. “To safeguard the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, most demonstrations require a permit.”
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
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