Activists raised a massive transgender-pride flag on El Capitan in the Yosemite National Park on Tuesday to protest the Trump administration’s LGBTQ-related policies. A spokesperson for the Yosemite Park Service said that it was an “unauthorized display” and “the flag was removed a soon as possible.”
“Raising this flag in the heart of El Capitan is a celebration of our community standing in solidarity with each other and all targeted groups,” said SJ Joslin, an organizer of the protest. “Trans existence is not up for debate. We are social workers, public servants, parents, and neighbors. Being trans is a natural, beautiful part of human and biological diversity. We can only make progress when we embrace diversity, not erase it.”
The demonstrators who raised the flag claim it is 55 feet by 35 feet. It was hung 1,500 feet up El Capitan on the “Heart Ledges,” between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Pacific Time. It remained on display until about noon. Images shared by some of the activists show that statements like “free Palestine,” “be gay do crime,” “trans people save lives,” and “trans is beautiful” were written on the flag in black marker.
“With this historic unfurling, climbers reclaim space in the heart — literally, the flag hangs on the recognizable ‘Heart Ledges’ on El Captain wall in Yosemite,” the activists said in a press release.
“We flew the Trans Pride flag in Yosemite to make a statement: Trans people are natural and Trans people are loved,” said Wyn Wylie, an environmentalist and drag-queen performer who uses the stage name “Pattie Gonia.” “Let this flag fly higher than hate. We are done being polite about trans people’s existence. Call it a protest, call it a celebration — either way, it’s giving elevation to liberation.”
Wylie founded the nonprofit organization The Outdoorist Oath, which promotes an “action-based commitment for planet, inclusion, and adventure.” The organization asks members to take an oath, which includes acknowledging climate change, committing to advocacy for environmental justice, and recognizing “that systemic oppression is real and that hatred, discrimination, and biases marginalize people.” Outdoorist Oath raises awareness about conduct like “microaggressions in the outdoors, ”and it hosts activism workshops called “Stretch Sessions,” including sessions on white supremacy.
National Geographic named “Pattie Gonia” as one of its nine “Travelers of the Year” in 2024, and the performer delivered a TedTalk titled “Why Joy Is a Serious Way to Take Action” this year. The drag performer was also featured in a pride-themed campaign for The North Face, a company that sells outdoor gear and clothing.
“Hi, it’s me, Pattie Gonia, a real-life homosexual,” the activist says in a video for the 2023 North Face “Summer of Pride” campaign. “We are here to invite you to come out… in nature with us!”
In February, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a group of Yosemite National Park staffers hung a large American flag upside down on El Capitan to protest the Trump administration’s cost-saving initiatives and the park’s looming cuts to staff.
“We’re bringing attention to what’s happening to the parks, which are every American’s properties,” said Gavin Carpenter, a maintenance mechanic with Yosemite who provided the American flag and assisted in hanging it. “It’s super important we take care of them, and we’re losing people here, and it’s not sustainable if we want to keep the parks open.”
Four activists unfurled a massive flag that said “STOP THE GENOCIDE” on El Capitan in 2024.