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The National Park Service has reportedly terminated a ranger from Yosemite National Park, Shannon "SJ" Joslin, who displayed a transgender pride flag across the renowned El Capitan rock formation in California earlier this year. Joslin, 35, took to Instagram on Monday to announce their firing, asserting it was due to exercising their First Amendment rights by hanging the 55-foot by 35-foot flag in May.
Identifying as non-binary and using they/them pronouns, Joslin stated that the flag was raised while they were off-duty and acting as a private citizen. "I was dismissed by the temporary Deputy Superintendent for ‘failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct’ in my role as a Wildlife Biologist for the park. None of this act was performed during work hours, and it had nothing to do with my job," Joslin explained.
On May 20, 2023, Joslin, along with several supporters, hung the transgender flag on El Capitan, an iconic landmark in Yosemite National Park. After displaying the flag for approximately two hours, Joslin remarked that this was the first instance of punishment for such an action, despite decades of similar displays without repercussions. "I want my rights and my job back," they asserted.
In a statement to NBC News, Rachel Pawlitz, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, indicated that the Department of Justice is pursuing "administrative action" against multiple Yosemite employees, as well as potential criminal charges against visitors for alleged violations of laws regarding demonstrations. Specific details of these investigations were not disclosed.
Pawlitz emphasized the agency’s commitment to protecting park resources and visitor experiences, stating, "We do not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources." Following the incident, Yosemite National Park implemented a new directive prohibiting the display of large flags and banners without a permit.
Joslin collaborated with the coalition "Trans Is Natural" to raise the flag, which served as a protest against the previous administration’s stance on transgender and LGBTQ issues. "Raising this flag at El Capitan symbolizes our community’s solidarity with all marginalized groups," Joslin expressed. "Trans existence is not debatable. We are social workers, public servants, parents, and neighbors. Being transgender is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. Progress can only be achieved when we embrace, not erase, diversity."
In a swift response following the demonstration, the park’s acting superintendent, Ray McPadden, approved a directive prohibiting any banner, flag, or sign larger than fifteen square feet from being displayed without a permit. This new policy came after park staff previously hung the U.S. flag upside down on El Capitan in protest of layoffs under the Trump administration, which resulted in the dismissal of 1,000 newly hired National Park Service employees.
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