U.S. National Park Service Ranger Fired After Hanging Trans Flag On El Capitan In Yosemite National Park
A park ranger who uses the name Shannon Joslin and claims to be nonbinary, reported she was fired after she placed a transgender flag on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in May.
Joslin shared she was fired in a post to Instagram earlier this week, “Last week I was fired from my dream job as a permanent park ranger with the NPS for practicing my First Amendment right. In May I hung a trans flag on El Capitan that celebrated my acceptance of my identity. I hung the flag in my free time, off-duty, as a private citizen. It flew for a total of two hours in the morning and then I took it down. El Capitan has had flags hung on it for decades and no one has EVER been punished for it. Only me.”
“I was fired by the temporary Deputy Superintendent for ‘failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct’ in my capacity as a Wildlife Biologist for the park,’ Joslin stated. “No part of hanging the flag was done on work time. NOTHING about it had anything to do with my work. In an instant a person who is only working in Yosemite for a few months before they move on made a unilateral decision that would affect my entire career, work group (and the groups I work overtime for) and my community in Yosemite. We live in rural America and we are a close, supportive community of people who take care of the iconic Yosemite landscapes.”
She went on to add, “I want my rights and I want my career back. So help me. Use your First Amendment right to broadcast my story as loudly and as widely as possible. Any connections to news outlets or any amplification is so appreciated. I have a small following and it would mean a lot for everyone to get this message out to the public.”
Joslin was part of a group that included Wyn Wiley that climbed El Capitan and hung the transgender flag across its face.
He said at the time the reason for flying the fag was to prove that “trans is natural.”
“The 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 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,” he added.
A spokesman for the National Park Service told pro-LGBTQ+ outlet 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.”
The spokesman continued, “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.”
“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,” the spokesman concluded.
There's no such thing as Trans, since humans can't switch back and forth between the sexes.
The only animals that can are certain marine animals that physically change sexes in order to maintain breeding pairs.
This disordered lifestyle needs to stop and the people who think they are trans need to get mental help.
No mentally ill person should work for the federal government in a position where they come into contact with normal people.
I am pleased the "no one is above the law" crowd who feels they are themselves above the law are experiencing the FAFO of MAGA.
Sometimes I find much comforting entertainment listening to these sanitorium-dodgers make hysterical Tik-Tok videos showing us their tonsils and tears.