Yosemite Ranger Sues Over Firing for Trans Flag on Rock Wall (1)

Feb. 23, 2026, 6:06 PM UTCUpdated: Feb. 23, 2026, 8:32 PM UTC

A Yosemite National Park ranger sued the federal government Monday over the ranger’s termination for hanging a transgender pride flag on the prominent El Capitan rock formation.

The lawsuit, which names government agencies including the National Park Service and Interior Department, alleges they engaged in a “vindictive campaign” that targeted the “off-duty speech” of Shannon Joslin, a nonbinary park ranger and biologist.

Joslin, who uses they/them pronouns, along with a number of climbers ascended the face of El Capitan in May 2025 and unfurled a large trans pride flag as a statement supporting the LGBTQ community to protest the ...

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