They hung a giant pride flag on a famous cliff. Now they lost their job and their day in court.

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by a nonbinary Yosemite scientist who was fired after hanging a trans flag on El Capitan.

When you stand up for who you are at work, you expect your boss to hear you out. But for one park worker, a grand gesture of pride ended in a pink slip and a closed courtroom door.

WHAT HAPPENED

Shannon "SJ" Joslin worked as a wildlife scientist at Yosemite National Park. In May 2025, Joslin helped hang a large transgender pride flag on the famous El Capitan rock face.

Park officials fired Joslin for the stunt. The park has a rule against putting up banners or flags larger than 15 square feet on natural features without a permit.

Joslin sued the National Park Service. Joslin claimed they were singled out and fired as payback. On June 12, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston threw the case out.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS

The event took place in May 2025 on El Capitan.

• The park rule bans flags larger than 15 square feet on natural features.
• Shannon Joslin was fired after taking part in hanging the flag.
• Judge Jennifer Thurston dismissed the lawsuit on June 12, 2026.
• The court denied Joslin's request to get their job back.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

Where is the line between protecting nature and expressing who we are? National parks belong to everyone, but they also have strict rules to keep the rocks and trees untouched.

Should a rule about flag sizes cost a skilled scientist their job? It makes us wonder if the punishment truly fit the action, or if the park was just trying to avoid a public debate.

THE OTHER SIDE

The National Park Service says the rules are clear and apply to everyone. They argue that allowing big signs on cliffs ruins the park for other visitors and could hurt the rock.

Based on the written rules, the park's case is strong because the law gives them the power to protect public land from displays without a permit.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

This ruling means park workers must be very careful about making personal statements while on duty. It shows that even peaceful protests can lead to losing your job with very little hope of winning it back in court.

For regular people, it means our parks will remain free of large banners, no matter how good the cause is.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

1. Will Joslin try to appeal this decision to a higher court?
2. Have other park workers hung banners in the past without getting fired?
3. How will this firing affect the morale of other LGBTQ+ workers at Yosemite?