Yosemite Ranger Fired After Hanging 55-Foot Transgender Flag On El Capitan With Drag Queen Pattie Gonia

America’s national parks used to be places where everyone could enjoy nature’s beauty together. Didn’t matter if you were conservative or liberal. Young or old. These spaces belonged to all of us—at least, that’s what they used to be.

But guess what some people think is more important than keeping these treasures neutral? Their personal political agendas. And spoiler alert: your tax dollars are paying their salaries while they do it.

This past May, park ranger Shannon Joslin teamed up with MTV drag star Pattie Gonia to pull off a stunt that’ll make your head spin. They hung a massive transgender flag—we’re talking 55 feet by 35 feet—on El Capitan. You know, that iconic rock face that’s supposed to represent America’s natural majesty? Yeah, that one. Joslin did this to protest President Trump’s policies about transgender athletes in women’s sports. Last week, they got fired for it.

From ‘Instagram post by Shannon Joslin’:

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 celebrate my acceptance of my identity. I hung the flag in my free time, off-duty, as a private citizen.

When Activism Meets Accountability

Here’s where it gets rich. Joslin has a PhD in bioinformatics. Apparently, that qualifies you to turn America’s cliffs into protest billboards. They worked as a wildlife biologist since 2021. Now they’re crying about First Amendment rights because the flag stunt happened during “off-duty hours.”

Let me get this straight. A federal employee uses their special access to coordinate with a drag queen from MTV. They organize a group called “Trans Is Natural” to hang a giant flag 1,500 feet up a protected rock face. And we’re supposed to believe this is just personal expression?

The drag performer, Gonia, said the flag should “fly higher than hate.” Real subtle, right? This wasn’t some spontaneous moment of self-discovery. It was a calculated media circus. The flag stayed up for two hours before park officials made them take it down.

Double Standards or Just Desserts?

Joslin keeps saying “no one has EVER been punished” for hanging flags on El Capitan. But here’s what they’re not telling you. The National Park Service is going after multiple employees over this. They’re even looking at criminal charges for some visitors who helped.

The very next day after this stunt, NPS had to create new rules. No more giant flags in wilderness areas. Gee, wonder why they needed that rule suddenly?

And here’s the part you can’t make up. Joslin wants to use President Trump’s executive order on First Amendment protections to fight the firing. The same President Trump whose policies started this whole protest! The irony is thicker than morning fog in Yosemite Valley.

Think about what every taxpayer should know here. We pay federal employees to protect our parks. Not to use them as political stages. When a government worker exploits their position like this, they deserve what they get.

The message from Yosemite’s leadership is crystal clear. Our national parks aren’t your personal protest zones. Joslin’s firing isn’t persecution. It’s what happens when you forget who signs your paycheck—the American people.

Key Takeaways

• Park ranger fired for hanging massive trans flag on El Capitan with drag performers
• Federal employees can’t use government access for political activism, even off-duty
• National parks must remain politically neutral spaces for all Americans
• Claiming First Amendment rights doesn’t excuse abuse of public trust

Sources: Breitbart, New York Post

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