This is a developing story and will be updated periodically with more information.

Last Tuesday, nonbinary Yosemite wildlife biologist Shannon “SJ” Joslin (they/them) was called into a meeting with Danika Globokar, the Acting Deputy Superintendent of Yosemite National Park. They noticed that a law enforcement ranger was also present.

Joslin soon found out why. Globokar handed them a letter, which said that Joslin was being terminated for “failure to demonstrate acceptable conduct” because they had helped fly a trans pride flag on El Capitan on May 20.

According to the termination letter, Joslin says, the flag display violated 36 CFR § 2.51, a National Park Service (NPS) rule against any demonstrations that take place outside of designated park areas for First Amendment activities.

Joslin was shocked that termination was the first response to this. They told Climbing, “I looked at the rubric for recommended disciplinary action for if you have a demonstration outside of a First Amendment zone, and the recommendation for a first-time offense is a reprimand.”

But Joslin was not technically a permanent employee, even though they have been working in the same role for four years, so their job security was much looser. “They got me in a loophole,” they said. “When I transferred into my seasonal position, I was a disability hire, so I have a two-year probationary period instead of one.” Their probation was set to end on September 10th, just 29 days later.

The NPS confirmed that they are “pursuing administrative action against NPS employees in Yosemite National Park for failing to follow NPS regulations.” Their spokesperson declined to comment on Joslin’s case.

A quick review of the facts

The May 20 flag display, which included Joslin, environmental activist Pattie Gonia, and five other trans climbers and allies, lasted for about two hours on a Tuesday morning. From 9 to 11am, the flag billowed 15 to 20 feet away from El Capitan on Heart Ledges, about one-third of the way up. It did not block any climbers. Joslin adds they were not on duty and not in uniform when they assisted with the rigging.

“We want to make sure that trans people know they’re welcome outdoors,” Joslin told Climbing at the time. They called it a celebration, not a protest, and said that they didn’t necessarily disagree with people who said El Cap shouldn’t be a community message board. “If there were rules saying that we couldn’t hang a flag from El Cap, then we wouldn’t have hung a flag from El Cap,” they explained. Read the rest of Joslin’s interview here.

Yosemite bans large flags

The day after the flag display, the Yosemite Superintendent’s Compendium was updated with a new clause that banned flag displays. Specifically, the new rule stated that no person or group may “hang or otherwise affix to any natural or cultural feature, or display so as to cover any natural or cultural feature, any banner, flag, or sign larger than 15 square feet (e.g., five feet by three feet).”

The update is dated May 20—the same day as the protest—but the digital signature on page one shows that the Acting Superintendent signed it into effect on May 21.

“I’m going to try and fight this thing”

Joslin was in the midst of turning in their badges when they spoke with Climbing. “I’m going to try and fight this thing and get my job back,” they said. “I don’t make a lot of money in the federal government; I don’t really have a large means to hang onto.”

In a press release, the ex-employee wrote that their dismissal is in direct conflict with President Trump’s recent Executive Order 14149, “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” which was signed on January 20. This order, while vague, mandates that no federal government officer, employee, or agent “engages in or facilitates” any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen.

“In my eyes, I should have First Amendment rights as a private citizen,” says Joslin. “Nothing that I did [regarding the flag] was on work time or associated with work. I don’t know how my conduct as a wildlife biologist has any ties to this at all.”

Pattie Gonia added that Joslin’s firing is “a targeted move by the Trump administration to silence voices that hold viewpoints different than their own.”

In the meantime, Joslin plans to seek legal counsel.  “My firing isn’t just about one ranger,” they wrote. “It’s about whether everyone has the right to speak freely in the United States.”

The post “I Want My Job Back”: Yosemite Biologist Fired for Displaying Trans Pride Flag on El Cap appeared first on Climbing.