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When Nate Vince and friends hung the upside-down American flag on El Capitan last March, I thought it was inspiring. So when Dr. Shannon “SJ” Joslin, Pattie Gonia and others (including Nate himself) hung the trans flag across El Capitan’s iconic heart, I again was moved—though this time I felt a flicker of concern. Should El Cap continue to be used as a place to make a statement, I wondered? Mountains and rock faces have historically been used as a platform to speak for the things we care about, but do we need to draw a line at some point?
That was my mindset until I had a long, engaging conversation with SJ. What struck me most after we talked was how connected I felt to them. We both love Yosemite. We both love the mechanics and systems of big-wall climbing. We’re both fascinated by the creatures that somehow survive on El Cap—bats, frogs, mice and insects. SJ is a trained scientist, and in talking with them, I was excited by the many parallels I saw between climbing and science: As climbers, we analyze systems, test hypotheses, tweak variables and search for truth.
When you really look at what happened, it’s hard to see SJ’s firing as anything other than bigotry. Flags have been hung on El Cap for as long as I’ve been climbing there. Only after the trans flag went up did the park create a law against it—and then tried to backdate the paperwork to make it seem like the rule had always been in place, according to SJ. That directive clearly came from high up, and it left me wondering what “freedom of speech” actually means on our public lands.
In our conversation, SJ was clear that they do support the “no flags rule” moving forward. “It makes sense for them to create the rule for sure,” SJ said. “But my thought was, I’m just going to follow the rules that are currently established. Everyone in the group felt really invigorated to have this message, that the biggest flag to ever fly on El Cap would be one of love and acceptance.”
Their intentionality and care were apparent when we talked about the planning and execution behind this project: Their team kept the rigging clear of climbing parties, made sure it didn’t impact wildlife and chose a quiet Tuesday morning. The flag was up for only two hours. And yet, SJ received a flood of messages from people saying it gave them hope—people who had contemplated suicide, people who felt like outsiders. If flying a flag on El Cap for a couple of hours can make that kind of positive impact, why wouldn’t we allow it? I felt my skepticism fading. Protest is good for the country—it’s what our nation was built on—but it has to be done with restraint and respect. And that’s precisely what they did.
Later on in our chat, we started talking about all the ways the park will suffer without SJ as an employee. When I asked about their former role in Yosemite, they immediately lit up, diving into the details of their research, data collection and programs that they spearheaded. For most climbers, Yosemite’s walls are made up of crack systems and features, topo lines and crux pitches. When viewed through SJ’s eyes, the walls are living and breathing ecosystems, teeming with life that has barely been studied.
From 2021 until their firing this past August, SJ ran the Big Wall Bats program, which involved studying bat roosts high on El Capitan and monitoring for white-nose syndrome—a disease that has been decimating bat populations across North America. They also managed and cataloged all the terrestrial wildlife data for the park, which included data on bats, peregrine falcons, the elusive fisher and other lesser-known species. I’m a science nerd at heart. I believe in funding science, and I see it as essential if we’re going to chart a future for the planet.
Through talking with SJ, it was clear that the trans flag on El Cap wasn’t a message of division, but of hope and acceptance. It was thoughtful, temporary and deeply human. If climbing can play a role in that kind of protest, I’m all for it. And now, the climbing community owes it to SJ to rally in support of them getting their job back. For the sake of all of Yosemite’s inhabitants, human and otherwise, SJ’s presence in the Valley is something worth fighting for.
TAKE ACTION
Sign the petition supporting SJ and their crucial role in Yosemite. You can give the NPS an earful
here (scroll down and click “Ask a question or make a comment”) or you can
email the acting superintendent directly to show support for SJ.
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