Recently, the National Park Service issued a memo barring employees from attending Pride parades in uniform. Official participation appears uncertain, and many LGBQT+ Rangers are feeling defeated.
  • goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org
    412·
    6 months ago

    On May 17, the National Park Service officially determined that park rangers and other employees cannot attend Pride festivities and parades in uniform. This decision reverses a long history of allowing such participation and even having official delegation in Pride parades across the United States. Anonymous LGBTQ+ employees report feeling betrayed and note that official Pride participation in major cities is uncertain as multiple parades finalize and applications to participate in parades remain unprocessed. The move comes amid increasing crackdowns on Pride flags and LGBTQ+ people nationwide. In most cases, Republican legislators and appointees have been behind such bans, but this time, it appears the National Park Service, led by a Biden-approved director, is restricting park participation in LGBTQ+ celebrations.

  • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
    323·
    6 months ago

    I’m surprised they allowed it at all. Usually any organization, public or private, will tell employees not to imply endorsement of anything not officially sponsored.

    I’m also surprised that Stonewall is a national monument. Apparently it was an Obama decision, so I guess it was a fuck-you to hate.

    • PrinceWith999Enemies@lemmy.world
      432·
      6 months ago

      Are they barred from veteran’s day and St. Patrick’s Day parades as well, or does the NPS participate in those? How about 4th of July?

      Has this always been the case? If not, who was on the board that made the decision and what is their political affiliation?

      In a world where half the electorate thinks a judge must be prejudiced and has no problem with their autocratic leader saying that ethnicity decides whether someone is “fair,” I think these are legitimate followup questions.

      We needed a de-trumpification of the government. Anyone appointed by Trump or hired by an appointee should have been dismissed. This is basically what Trump is planning on doing.

      • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
        7·
        6 months ago

        This comes from Frank Lands, who joined NPS in 2021. The director of NPS, Chuck Sams, was confirmed also in 2021. Both are from the Biden administration.

  • deweydecibel@lemmy.worldEnglish
    209·
    6 months ago

    So by the sound of it, no one is being bared from participating, and the Pride events in the parks are not cancelled, though a bunch of approvals for participation in other events are waiting on a decision.

    Just can’t use the official NPS uniforms.

    Ok. Fair enough.

    Every NPS employee should get custom shirts that state clearly who they work for. Maybe even design them to look similar to the uniforms. March in those, and leave no question who you are. Then we’ll see what happens.

    • zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev
      296·
      6 months ago

      A federal government organization is pulling back from openly supporting lgbtq+. It’s a big fuck you to the community and a big deal. Somebody decided that supporting that community was a bad look and had the power to be a dick about it.

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
        11·
        6 months ago

        That somebody is Charles “Chuck” Sam’s the third, a Biden appointment and first native American to serve in the position.

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    924·
    6 months ago

    Anonymous LGBTQ+ employees report feeling betrayed

    I don’t really see the problem. Don’t go in your National Park Service uniform and you can participate. The organization doesn’t want to get pulled into political disputes and isn’t going to want their endorsement to be implied one way or the other. The employees in question aren’t acting as spokesmen for the NPS (and if they were, then I can say that the restrictions they’d run into would be a lot more severe, like being told what they can and can’t say).

    Most people aren’t going to be wearing uniforms anyway, because their jobs don’t involve a uniform.

    That’s also not specific to the NPS or to Pride stuff. The military also has a lot of restrictions on what people can be doing politically when wearing uniform, because the military isn’t supposed to be playing in politics. It works for the public, and the public makes the political calls.

    • zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev
      181·
      6 months ago

      Withdrawing support that’s already been there in this organization is specific, actually. This wasn’t a call made by the public, it was made by the people running the org. The decision itself is political. If you think the military isn’t supposed to be political, you must have thought don’t ask don’t tell was complete BS, right? Or is it ok when it’s politically conservative?

      • die444die@lemmy.worldEnglish
        9·
        6 months ago

        Especially at a time when LGBTQ+ people are currently being attacked by the terrorists within our own government passing laws preventing them from getting healthcare and being able to discuss their families.

  • unreasonabro@lemmy.world
    534·
    6 months ago

    I mean maybe quit fucking in the woods

    yall might think i’m joking or being whateverist but there’s a nice thicketed section of the waterfront in Toronto and there always people fucking in there. I used to bike past it on my commute, never saw any women going in. Thought it was just a nice path til I went in and was immediately propositioned. I mean I see the appeal of fucking outside but designated outdoor orgy zones are a little much

    Even that’s a little hysterical though to connect to the NPS being dickfighters I suppose.

    edit: 34 little bitches who can not read, f, u, c, k, i, n, g! one in the bush, one in the tree, one on the bus right next to me

    I didn’t realise fucking in public was this popular IRL. It’s probably not, but anyway, sorry everyone!

    • die444die@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      6 months ago

      What the fuck does a story you made up about people off of a path in Toronto have to do with park rangers in the US? Maybe stop being such a bigot.

      • unreasonabro@lemmy.world
        111·
        6 months ago

        Oh, does the NPS not do forests? i guess there can be no possible connection!

        Oh, I get it, you want to go and I didn’t tell you where. It’s here! In the Frolicking Trails, i mean you can’t make this shit up. Don’t get me wrong I’d be down there every day if I didn’t already have this other life, now you stop being obtuse and ornery, ya silly bitch.

        • die444die@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          6 months ago

          A connection to random people? Are you actually claiming that US park rangers are traveling to Toronto parks to touch your chest? WTF is wrong with you?

          • unreasonabro@lemmy.world
            19·
            6 months ago

            lmao yes that’s what i’m saying. You’re definitely worth talking to - an excellent conversationalist and not at all a boring idiot! Have a great day! bubye

            edit: Sorry, that was crotchety of me, but I did ask you to stop being obtuse.

      • unreasonabro@lemmy.world
        29·
        6 months ago

        yeah the dude who ran his finger down my chest as I made apologies and tried to retreat was definitely a wakeup call

        • Todd Bonzalez@lemm.ee
          3·
          6 months ago

          So one guy flirted with you, and that was your wakeup call to become deeply homophobic?

          lmao, poor baby…

          • unreasonabro@lemmy.world
            12·
            6 months ago

            If not wanting to fuck randos in public makes me a homophobe then so be it I guess, I guess all the prostate orgasms I have and all the anal sex I get done to me I suppose just makes me more phobic too, right, you squawking parrot?

            QQ

            Seriously though I linked the park elsewhere in the thread if you need a hookup