Watch trans pride flag fly from Yosemite National Park's El Capitan: 'Done being polite'
A coalition of LGBTQIA+ folks and allies hung a large transgender pride flag from Yosemite's El Capitan on Tuesday. They say it flew proud for about 90 minutes before it was removed.
Activists hung a giant transgender pride flag from a famous landmark in Yosemite National Park on Tuesday morning.
A coalition of transgender, queer and LGBTQIA+ ally rock climbers hung the 55-by-35-foot transgender pride flag from the towering El Capitan rock formation in the central California national park around 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday, May 20, a group spokesperson told Paste BN.
The coalition, operating under the project name Trans is Natural, was led by drag queen and musical artist Pattie Gonia, the persona of LGBTQIA+ activist Wyn Wiley. The name promotes the idea that transgenderism is naturally occurring in various species − not just humans.
“We flew the Trans Pride flag in Yosemite to make a statement: Trans people are natural and trans people are loved," Gonia said in a news release. "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 has been removed. Here's what you need to know.
Park officials ask for removal of flag
Park officials asked the activists to remove the Transgender Pride flag from El Capitan around 11:30 a.m. PT, according to the group that hung it.
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the flag's removal when contacted by Paste BN on May 20.
The demonstration was held almost exactly three months after a group of protesters hung an upside-down American flag from El Capitan on Feb. 22. Held during Yosemite's "Firefall" event, the flag served as a protest against federal job cuts carried out by President Donald Trump's administration.
Towering more than 3,000 vertical feet above the valley floor, El Capitan is one of the most famous landmarks in Yosemite National Park, and definitely an eye-catching location to make a statement. It gained even more notoriety as the site of 2018's Oscar-winning documentary "Free Solo," about climber Alex Honnold's incredible ascent of El Capitan without safety equipment.
Who is Pattie Gonia, LGBTQIA+ and environmental activist?
Pattie Gonia is the drag name of LGBTQIA+ and environmental activist Wyn Wiley.
Gonia is a co-founder of Outdoorist Oath, a nonprofit that advocates for education and LGBTQIA+ allyship in taking action for the planet, and founder of Queer Outdoor and Environmental Job Board, an online resource for LGBTQIA+ folks and allies interested in jobs within the environmental and outdoor industries.
In 2024, Gonia was named one of TIME Magazine's Next Generation Leaders and this year, she was recognized as one of National Geographic's 33 Changemakers.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to fix a typo and correct an inaccuracy.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.