Blogs View of the El Capitan rock formation in the evening, seen from the loop road at Yosemite National Park, CaliforniaGilberto Mesquita/Shutterstock JonathonVanMaren Jonathon Van Maren Comments 2 Tue Jun 16, 2026 – 6:23 am EDT (LifeSiteNews) — Last year, bat biologist and Yosemite National Park ranger Shannon Joslin was fired after hanging a massive, 66-foot-wide transgender flag from the California national park’s world-famous climbing wall El Capitan on May 20. Joslin, who identifies as „non-binary,” claimed that she had done it because the Trump administration was „targeting” her. „I was really hurting because there were a lot of policies coming from the current administration that target trans people, and I’m non-binary,” Joslin told the Associated Press. She claimed that her firing sent a chilling message: „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.” READ: Mamdani promises $15 million in taxpayer money for 'gender transitions’ in New York City Of course, Joslin wasn’t fired for identifying as „non-binary” (the press articles about her truncated career refer to her with „they/them” pronouns). She was fired for hanging a massive 66-foot-wide transgender flag over the national park’s main thoroughfare. In fact, her termination letter makes this quite clear, stating that she lost her job for „failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct.” You know, because of the flag thing. Jayson O’Neill with the activist outfit Save Our Parks also claimed that Joslin was fired in order to prevent park employees from expressing their views about the Trump administration. O’Neill apparently also missed the massive 66-foot-wide transgender flag, which is the reason that Joslin was fired. Joslin’s termination letter articulated this quite clearly: „You participated in a small group demonstration in an area outside the designated protest and demonstration area without a permit … and thus circumvented rules applicable to all park visitors.” Joslin was helped in her flag stunt by two other park rangers, who were also placed on leave, as well as several climbers, including Pattie Gonia, an „environmentalist and drag queen who uses performance art to raise awareness of conservation issues.” Covering the environment with a giant eyesore presumably fit the bill; Gonia claimed that „they hung the transgender flag on the iconic granite monolith to express that being transgender is natural.” Unfortunately, Gonia was a non-employee and could not also be fired. Joslin sued the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and a number of other defendants, accusing them of violating her constitutional rights, including freedom of speech. The lawsuit claims that her firing was „vindictive, retaliatory, intended to communicate disapproval of a particular point of view.” Which is certainly partially accurate, as the National Park Service obviously hopes to communicate disapproval of flying massive trans flags on the main thoroughfare of Yosemite National Park. READ: African nations sign charter vowing to defend traditional family values from LGBT agenda Now, however, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Joslin over her firing for her hanging of the massive flag. On June 12, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston found that because Joslin was a probationary employee at the time she had hung the huge flag at El Capitan, she must „follow the process set out by the Civil Service Reform Act” and file a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel. Joslin has already done that, and a decision – likely to be unfavorable – is expected in August. Joslin remained defiant, albeit flagless, and stated that she had committed her life to Yosemite National Park. „So it doesn’t matter if it takes months or years to get back to working for Yosemite and the people who want to visit the park, I will fight as long as I have to,” she said. Her sense of entitlement, which is as monumental as any iconic granite monolith, is impressive to behold – but considering the fact that her job is most certainly over, will likely begin to flag soon enough. 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Za artykułem:
Yosemite park ranger hits granite wall of reality after judge dismisses trans flag firing lawsuit (lifesitenews.com)
Data artykułu: 16.06.2026
