Acceptable Conduct
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This powerful episode of The Dirtbag Diaries centers on SJ Jocelyn, a former Yosemite National Park ranger and conservation biologist who was fired after hanging a transgender pride flag on El Capitan in 2025 as a symbol of inclusion and personal identity. SJ, who identifies as non-binary, saw the flag not as political protest but as an act of love and community-building, inspired by the park’s long tradition of free expression on its cliffs. Despite receiving overwhelming public support and no prior rules against such displays, SJ was terminated under a newly enacted, retroactively applied regulation banning large flags in wilderness areas. The firing sparked national controversy, revealing a broader pattern of suppression of federal workers’ First Amendment rights under the current administration. Legal expert Scott Michaelman explains that government employees retain free speech protections when speaking as private citizens outside of work, especially on matters of public concern. SJ’s story becomes a rallying cry for free expression, LGBTQ+ rights, and the integrity of public service, culminating in a lawsuit filed in February 2026. The episode underscores how individual acts of courage can expose systemic threats to democracy and civil liberties.
Your identity and values can be a source of strength and action, even in the face of institutional pushback.
Public lands are constitutionally protected spaces for free expression and protest.
Government employees have First Amendment rights when speaking as private citizens outside of work.
Retaliation against federal workers for off-duty speech is a growing threat to democratic accountability.
One person’s act of courage can inspire a movement and protect the rights of many.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Opening: The Light of Support
The episode opens with a heartfelt thank you to The Diaries Plus community, drawing a powerful metaphor between the light of a headlamp and the support that enables bold storytelling and risk-taking in the outdoors.
SJ’s Journey: From Struggle to Purpose
“I don't want that life for myself. So if I'm going to do something with my life, I want to be a vet.”
The Big Wall Bat Program: Science Meets Climbing
SJ describes their groundbreaking work leading the Big Wall Bat Program, merging their love for climbing with scientific research to study elusive bat populations in Yosemite’s cliffs.
The Flag: A Symbol of Love and Resistance
“If that flag saves one trans kid, then we've done something great. I would ever hope for in my life to do.”
The Fallout: Fire and Silence
“How is that unacceptable conduct? Everything that I've done in my job has tried to be to help contribute, to inspire a sense of awe and wonder in people.”
“If that flag saves one trans kid, then we've done something great. I would ever hope for in my life to do.”
“How is that unacceptable conduct? Everything that I've done in my job has tried to be to help contribute, to inspire a sense of awe and wonder in people.”
“You have free speech only if I agree with you. Then it's only a matter of time before the next person in charge is going to have different views.”
Hosts
Guests
Yosemite National Park
place
El Capitan
place
National Park Service
organization
Dirtbag Diaries
media
SJ Jocelyn
person
Transgender Pride Flag
other
Scott Michaelman
person
Big Wall Bat Program
other
Donald Trump
person
Patty (Patagonia)
person
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