FILE-A group of climbers unfurled a transgender pride flag on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. . (Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a former Yosemite National Park ranger who was fired after flying a huge transgender pride flag from a rock wall that hangs over the California park’s main highway.
On June 12, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston found that Shannon "SJ" Joslin, who identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronoun they, must follow the process established by the Civil Service Reform Act.
The Associated Press reported that Joslin was still a probationary worker at the time of their firing in 2025, meaning they must file a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, which they have done.
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Citing court documents, the AP added that the Office of Special Counsel denied Joslin's initial request to delay their termination while a probe into whether the Park Service broke the law.
Yosemite ranger-transgender flag case
The backstory:
Shannon "SJ" Joslin told the Associated Press that they helped hang a 66-foot-wide transgender pride flag on El Capitan for two hours on May 20, 2025, before taking it down voluntarily. Joslin hung the flag on their day off, not while they were on duty.
In 2025, Joslin explained to the AP that hanging the flag was their way of stating that "We’re all safe in national parks." Joslin received a termination letter in August 2025 accusing them of not displaying appropriate conduct, referring to the flag incident.
According to the AP, many parks have "First Amendment areas" where groups of 25 or fewer individuals can protest without permits. Yosemite has several of these areas, including one in Yosemite Valley, where El Capitan is located.
In the lawsuit, Joslin accused the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and other defendants of constitutional violations, including violating Joslin’s right to free speech.
A day after Joslin's flag display, Yosemite National Park implemented a rule banning individuals from hanging banners, flags, or signs over 15 square feet in park areas designated as "wilderness" or "potential wilderness," according to the park’s website.
Last year, another demonstration occurred at Yosemite National Park in February 2025 when demonstrators hung an upside down American flag on El Capitan to protest the firing of National Park Service employees by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which cites court documents in the case. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.