Park ranger fired after hanging trans flag in Yosemite National Park
The May protest in Yosemite marked the largest-ever Trans Pride Flag hung in a national park. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The May protest in Yosemite marked the largest-ever Trans Pride Flag hung in a national park. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
A park ranger claims to have been fired for flying a Trans Pride flag in Yosemite National Park.
SJ Joslin, who uses they/them pronouns, along with activists including drag queen Pattie Gonia, draped the flag on El Capitan, a rock formation in the Californian national park, in May, as “a celebration of trans belonging in nature, in community and everywhere”.
Now, according to Joslin, their contract has allegedly been terminated despite their claim that they carried out the protest “in my free time, off duty, as a private citizen”. In a social media post on Monday (18 August), they said they had lost “my dream job… for practising my first amendment right [which protects freedom of expression and religion]”.
Joslin went on to say: “I hung a trans flag on El Capitan. It flew for a total of two hours in the morning, then I took it down.” Other flags have been planted there over the years and no one else has been punished, she claimed.
“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.”
Joslin had regularly volunteered overtime to ensure access for disabled people, as well as working as a firefighter, rescue technician and a first responder.
“No one has ever had negative comments about my conduct,” they said. “I treat people with the time, patience and respect I hope they will give to me. Preservation has been my life’s work: of Yosemite, the wildlife, the land, recreation, of people’s rights and safety, of community and acceptance, and now the first amendment. I want my rights and I want my career back.”
Environmental activist Gonia responded to Joslin’s post by writing: “To strip you of your position is not only an affront to your personal freedom but [also] an attack on the very values of service, dedication and community that you embody to the whole Yosemite community. This is about silencing those who oppose injustice, we must not let that happen.”
A spokesperson for the National Park Service told PinkNews: “The National Park Service and the US 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.
“We do not comment on the specifics of personnel actions or criminal investigations. However, 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.”
They added: “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. To safeguard the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, most demonstrations require a permit.”
According to NPR, the park service has removed pages from its website about trans activists and LGBTQ+ history, in the face of president Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at equality policies. Some historical information about the role of women at the Muir Woods National Monument, also in California, have been exorcised too, the Advocate reported.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
