A group of transgender, queer, and allied climbers unfurled a trans pride flag on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The flag is the largest flag ever flown on the famed granite monolith in the park, and hangs beneath Heart Ledges, a symbolic location near the literal and figurative heart of El Capitan. (Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Yosemite, California – In a major act of protest, a coalition of LGBTQIA climbers unfurled a massive 55-by-35-foot Trans Pride flag on El Capitan, one of the world’s most iconic climbing destinations in Yosemite National Park. The action, dubbed Trans Is Natural, marks the most significant flag ever displayed on the vertical granite wall and sends a clear message of trans visibility, belonging, and resistance.
The group organized the display in response to a wave of anti-trans policy changes under the Trump administration, including the removal of references to transgender history and contributions from U.S. government websites, such as the National Park Service’s Stonewall Uprising page. The protest also highlighted discrimination against queer and trans rangers within the NPS. It aimed to reclaim symbolically and physically space in the heart of one of America’s most revered national parks.
“We flew the Trans Pride flag in Yosemite to make a statement: Trans people are natural and trans people are loved,” said Pattie Gonia, a lead organizer, drag queen, and environmentalist. “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.”
The flag was unfurled from the recognizable Heart Ledges on El Capitan early Tuesday morning, drawing attention from spectators in Yosemite Valley below. The dramatic display comes just two years after the first known all-trans climbing team ascended El Capitan, a feat climbers Natai Endo and Juniper Welles achieved in June 2023.
SJ Joslin, a conservation professional and co-organizer, emphasized the deeper message behind the action. “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,” Joslin said. “Trans existence is not up for debate. Being trans is a natural, beautiful part of human and biological diversity.”
The unfurling was short-lived. According to group spokesperson Jess Fiaschetti, Yosemite park officials ordered the flag removed shortly after it was hung, and it was taken down around 10:00 a.m.. Still, organizers say the impact of the flag’s presence remains.
“The flag stands as a visual and spiritual anchor for all those who have been made to feel out of place in their bodies or in this country,” read a statement from the climbers. “In a time of disconnection, the trans, queer, and climbing community are here to celebrate and elevate humanity.”
The protest echoes a similar display in February, when activists hung an upside-down American flag from El Capitan to protest National Park Service staffing cuts.
As anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric intensifies, the Trans Is Natural action asserts a powerful truth: trans people belong — in nature, in history, and everywhere.
