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.
One of the successes of the “conservative” movement is get LGBTQ+ affirmation as an “issue.” It shouldn’t be about taking sides in an issue. There is only one “side” taking “issue.”
I wonder what they count as a “political” event. Would they not allow a ranger to wear the uniform during a Veterans Day parade? A Juneteenth parade? An Asian American and Pacific Islander parade? A Fourth of July parade? These are all events related to celebrating aspects of people’s identities, and being lgbt isn’t any different.
I am quite sure the same "conservative" pressure that pushed NPS to decided that LGBTQ+ events were "political" will eventually be applied to Juneteenth events as well. And Hispanic heritage events. And any celebration for anyone other than straight white Christian men.
Cosplay our personal interpretation of ‘’Smokie the Bear” when attending Pride events this year to maintain support for The National Park Service lgbtqia employees , community and identity
I'm not a lawyer, but the spokesperson's reference to wanting to avoid "viewpoint discrimination" is hurting my brain. If you've acknowledged that wearing a uniform gives NPS an interest in the viewpoint being expressed, then you're basically saying that speech in uniform is not necessarily First Amendment protected speech. Which means NPS does, indeed, get to pick and choose what it approves, and in this case it is choosing not to let people march in Pride events that align with its values of diversity and inclusion.
I also just went on the NPS Facebook page and posted a comment under their post celebrating the Stonewall Monument and asked if they were going to shut it down during PRIDE month and asking them to reverse their decision.
I wonder if this was initially a reaction to a request to wear the uniform at a conservative anti-pride event. They say no, and then the a-hole is like “but those lefties can wear their uniforms”, and the rhetoric NPS says “ok NO ONE can wear their uniform.” This is such a successful strategy on the right because it requires an organization to stand up for trans rights and say no to anti-trans assholes, and this is when organizations fail us, because they allow it to be considered something political. It’s so backhanded. This happened at our local college where kids were hanging don’t tread on me flags. The school asked them to take them down, and the kids were like “well they can hang pride flags!” And the school was like “fine, no flags.” It makes me so mad!
This seems strange under the Biden administration. We might see this quietly resolved, so great job bringing this into my consciousness. I'm sure it will get into others. To me, Pride events are as much about the participants as the cause. I just think it's extra cool when people are willing to wear uniforms at these events. It sends a message that younger people especially can hold these important jobs and also be who they are. They are also likely proud to be wearing those uniforms whether it be military, law enforcement, etc. The only specific thing that makes it political are the people who are opposed to what is ultimately legal.
Classic, isn't it? They're trying to go back when being LGBTQ+ was illegal in the military and other government agencies. Or was that just the military? I would've loved to go to Pride in my uniform at the time, but I was in the closet while serving. I went to San Francisco every year and participated in the parade on my motorcycle. Dykes on Bikes led the parade, and I was right there with 'em. But I didn't want to get thrown out of the military, so I left my uniform at home.
What a bunch of hooey about this. Goes to show it doesn't matter which side you're on, there are people who are bigots on both sides. More concerned about what their comrades will think than whether they have employees that are LGBTQ+. Their reason(s) for doing this will be laden with bullshit. Watch!
I’d ignore it & wear the uniform! Employees own their free time…do they own the uniforms? Red state politicians get to break the rules & disregard parts of Constitutional law, why should the people have to limit their legal right! These ‘leaders’ deserve no respect or creedance for their bad behavior.
I've heard similar arguments about participating in pride events in uniform within policing. There are two things that bother me about it.
The first is the naive notion that impartiality is sitting on a pedestal somehow above the wider debates of society. As the Overton Window implies, there is no such thing as uncontested public political space. The most reliable sign of a truly impartial public service is one that is sniped at from all sides equally because real impartiality is walking a tightrope between conflicting interests. On top of that, in one respect public bodies absolutely should be partial: in standing FOR pro-social causes and AGAINST anti-social ones. Pride is squarely pro-social, a protest demanding empathy and justice for the other, a celebration of that difference and opportunity to raise understanding. The conservative assault on decency and dignity for all is squarely anti-social and needs to be challenged.
Secondly, besides the harm done to all those LGBTQ+ uniformed service workers, proud both of who they are and their service, it actively obstructs the core business of those services. It's one thing for a pride organisation to prohibit participation in uniform in protest at an injustice perpetrated by that service. It's quite another for that service to refuse to take a hand that was offered. Whether park rangers, police or military, they need to be seen to belong to ALL the (prosocial) people else they are just the agents of the power against the people.
This is truly lame, suggesting that Pride is political in the context of a contested issue, rather than mere human rights. Admittedly, there are phobes today who see LGBTQ, especially T, concerns as a contested political issue, but there are also Nazis and Klansmen, are we letting hate groups dictate this? 'Cause that's how it sounds. I don't know if the president himself is particularly aware of this policy, but I'd like to see him pull some strings and allow these wonderful souls to wear their uniforms, proudly, at a human rights event.
One of the successes of the “conservative” movement is get LGBTQ+ affirmation as an “issue.” It shouldn’t be about taking sides in an issue. There is only one “side” taking “issue.”
I wonder what they count as a “political” event. Would they not allow a ranger to wear the uniform during a Veterans Day parade? A Juneteenth parade? An Asian American and Pacific Islander parade? A Fourth of July parade? These are all events related to celebrating aspects of people’s identities, and being lgbt isn’t any different.
I am quite sure the same "conservative" pressure that pushed NPS to decided that LGBTQ+ events were "political" will eventually be applied to Juneteenth events as well. And Hispanic heritage events. And any celebration for anyone other than straight white Christian men.
I really hope you’re wrong, but I don’t feel optimistic about it right now.
Cosplay our personal interpretation of ‘’Smokie the Bear” when attending Pride events this year to maintain support for The National Park Service lgbtqia employees , community and identity
I'm not a lawyer, but the spokesperson's reference to wanting to avoid "viewpoint discrimination" is hurting my brain. If you've acknowledged that wearing a uniform gives NPS an interest in the viewpoint being expressed, then you're basically saying that speech in uniform is not necessarily First Amendment protected speech. Which means NPS does, indeed, get to pick and choose what it approves, and in this case it is choosing not to let people march in Pride events that align with its values of diversity and inclusion.
I also just went on the NPS Facebook page and posted a comment under their post celebrating the Stonewall Monument and asked if they were going to shut it down during PRIDE month and asking them to reverse their decision.
I wonder if this was initially a reaction to a request to wear the uniform at a conservative anti-pride event. They say no, and then the a-hole is like “but those lefties can wear their uniforms”, and the rhetoric NPS says “ok NO ONE can wear their uniform.” This is such a successful strategy on the right because it requires an organization to stand up for trans rights and say no to anti-trans assholes, and this is when organizations fail us, because they allow it to be considered something political. It’s so backhanded. This happened at our local college where kids were hanging don’t tread on me flags. The school asked them to take them down, and the kids were like “well they can hang pride flags!” And the school was like “fine, no flags.” It makes me so mad!
This seems strange under the Biden administration. We might see this quietly resolved, so great job bringing this into my consciousness. I'm sure it will get into others. To me, Pride events are as much about the participants as the cause. I just think it's extra cool when people are willing to wear uniforms at these events. It sends a message that younger people especially can hold these important jobs and also be who they are. They are also likely proud to be wearing those uniforms whether it be military, law enforcement, etc. The only specific thing that makes it political are the people who are opposed to what is ultimately legal.
Classic, isn't it? They're trying to go back when being LGBTQ+ was illegal in the military and other government agencies. Or was that just the military? I would've loved to go to Pride in my uniform at the time, but I was in the closet while serving. I went to San Francisco every year and participated in the parade on my motorcycle. Dykes on Bikes led the parade, and I was right there with 'em. But I didn't want to get thrown out of the military, so I left my uniform at home.
What a bunch of hooey about this. Goes to show it doesn't matter which side you're on, there are people who are bigots on both sides. More concerned about what their comrades will think than whether they have employees that are LGBTQ+. Their reason(s) for doing this will be laden with bullshit. Watch!
What should we do about this?
I’d ignore it & wear the uniform! Employees own their free time…do they own the uniforms? Red state politicians get to break the rules & disregard parts of Constitutional law, why should the people have to limit their legal right! These ‘leaders’ deserve no respect or creedance for their bad behavior.
I just sent a nastygram via email to the NPS administration. What a bunch of spineless jerks.
I've heard similar arguments about participating in pride events in uniform within policing. There are two things that bother me about it.
The first is the naive notion that impartiality is sitting on a pedestal somehow above the wider debates of society. As the Overton Window implies, there is no such thing as uncontested public political space. The most reliable sign of a truly impartial public service is one that is sniped at from all sides equally because real impartiality is walking a tightrope between conflicting interests. On top of that, in one respect public bodies absolutely should be partial: in standing FOR pro-social causes and AGAINST anti-social ones. Pride is squarely pro-social, a protest demanding empathy and justice for the other, a celebration of that difference and opportunity to raise understanding. The conservative assault on decency and dignity for all is squarely anti-social and needs to be challenged.
Secondly, besides the harm done to all those LGBTQ+ uniformed service workers, proud both of who they are and their service, it actively obstructs the core business of those services. It's one thing for a pride organisation to prohibit participation in uniform in protest at an injustice perpetrated by that service. It's quite another for that service to refuse to take a hand that was offered. Whether park rangers, police or military, they need to be seen to belong to ALL the (prosocial) people else they are just the agents of the power against the people.
This is truly lame, suggesting that Pride is political in the context of a contested issue, rather than mere human rights. Admittedly, there are phobes today who see LGBTQ, especially T, concerns as a contested political issue, but there are also Nazis and Klansmen, are we letting hate groups dictate this? 'Cause that's how it sounds. I don't know if the president himself is particularly aware of this policy, but I'd like to see him pull some strings and allow these wonderful souls to wear their uniforms, proudly, at a human rights event.