A transgender and nonbinary wildlife biologist has been terminated from their position at Yosemite National Park following their participation in hanging a massive transgender pride flag from El Capitan earlier this year, sparking debate over free speech, employee rights, and the treatment of LGBTQ+ federal workers under the Trump administration.
Shannon “SJ” Joslin, 35, who managed Yosemite’s “Big Wall Bats” program, was dismissed on August 12, 2025, nearly three months after unfurling a 66-foot-wide transgender pride flag from the granite face of El Capitan. The flag remained on display for about two hours on May 20.
Joslin, a PhD in genetics and bioinformatics from UC Davis, emphasized that the action occurred on their time and without government resources.
“We don’t enter the park service for financial gain or to climb the career ladder. We do it because we cherish the places we serve,” Joslin said.
Since joining Yosemite in 2021, Joslin has led pioneering research on bat ecology, particularly efforts to protect species vulnerable to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease decimating bat populations across North America. Colleagues note that Joslin could have pursued higher-paying roles in Silicon Valley but chose federal service out of dedication to conservation.
Joslin described the flag display as both a protest and a message of hope in response to a series of Trump administration policies restricting transgender rights.
“Some carry hate. We carry the largest trans pride flag to ever be flown in a national park and unfurled it on the side of El Cap to prove a point that trans is natural, A Trump administration and transphobes would love to have you believe that being trans is unnatural, but species that can transition sexes can be found on every continent and in every ocean on planet earth,”
Joslin said.
”So call it a protest, call it a celebration. We are bringing elevation to liberation. They try to erase us from government websites and education systems and libraries so we raise this flag higher than ever before so every trans person knows that they have people that love them in their corner.”
The demonstration echoed a long-standing tradition of climbers using El Capitan for political statements. In just the past two years, the cliffside has displayed an upside-down American flag to protest National Park Service staff cuts and a banner reading “Stop the genocide” in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Neither action resulted in disciplinary measures.
One day after Joslin’s action, Acting Superintendent Raymond McPadden added a new regulation banning banners larger than 15 square feet in “wilderness” areas — a rule retroactively applied to May 20. Violators now face fines up to $10,000 and possible jail time.
Critics argue the backdated rule unfairly targeted Joslin. “Flags have been hung from El Capitan for decades without consequence,” said Joanna Citron Day, a former federal attorney now representing Joslin through Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
The case raises thorny questions about federal workers’ rights. Regulations allow demonstrations of fewer than 25 people in designated areas without a permit. Furthermore, Trump’s executive order on “Restoring Free Speech” prohibits federal officials from suppressing lawful expression.
Joslin argues their dismissal reflects a broader purge of dissent within the federal workforce.
“If you’re a federal worker and you have any kind of identity that doesn’t agree with this current administration, then you must be silent, or you will be eliminated,” they said.
The controversy comes amid sweeping cuts to the National Park Service, which has lost about 2,500 employees since 2025. A proposed $900 million budget reduction further threatens the agency’s staffing and resources.
Two additional rangers who participated in the May demonstration remain on administrative leave, while the Justice Department weighs possible criminal charges against other participants.
Environmental activist and co-participant Pattie Gonia defended the display:
“We flew the Trans Pride flag in Yosemite to make a statement: Trans people are natural and Trans people are loved. Queer people belong everywhere.”
Advocacy groups warn that Joslin’s firing could have a chilling effect on federal employees exercising free speech. PEER is preparing a legal challenge on Joslin’s behalf, arguing the termination is retaliatory and unlawful.
For Joslin, the fight is about more than a job. “We are bringing elevation to liberation,” they said. “The people united will never be defeated.”berate across federal agencies.
