National Park Service Reverses Ban On Staffers Wearing Uniform At Pride Events

Following a new memo by the National Park Service (NPS) in early May, employees of the organization have expressed disapproval. The National Park Service has made some updates to its policy for staffers who want to wear their uniform for events. This new ban by NPS subsequently impacts staffers’ attendance at Pride parades, despite the location. 

While national parks are a significant feature of the United States, there are many other functions of the NPS. Community outreach has been a big focus of the organization in recent years. The National Park Service has been a long-standing participant in Pride events for years so this move has been frowned upon by many who think that the decision was in bad taste or targeted the LGBTQIA+ community. The National Park Service ban was communicated to employees barely a month before National Pride Month.

The Details of the National Park Service Ban

The initial ban on employees was sent in a memo on May 9. Although the memo did not directly mention Pride it did state a big difference in uniform policy. The uniform policy dictates when and where employees can wear their official NPS apparel, including when they are outside of park property. NPS’ memo declared that the new ban was being sent out to ensure that the staff’s professional and personal lives were balanced. 

The National Park Service ban stated that employees are prohibited from “participating in or attending any demonstration or public event wherein the wearing of the uniform could be construed as agency support for a particular issue, position, or political party.” While this is an important part of upholding the credibility and significance of the NPS, the new ban was unexpected and caused controversy due to its reasoning and timing. NPS staff attend Pride events each year at many different celebrations across the country. With the ban, that presence was being taken away. 

The new memo prohibited employees from wearing their uniform in public events, which clearly referred to such events as Pride parades. This ban raised concerns about allyship and the organization’s stance on the LGBTQIA+ community. Since the employees of NPS have been attending Pride in uniform for years, this ban raised red flags. In the name of allyship, there was an online outcry for change to the decision. 

Updates on the Situation

Due to the concerns of the public and employees, the National Park Service released a new memo on May 24. In the new memo, the organization essentially doubles back on its first statement. Instead of acknowledging the very specific concerns of the public, the memo changed the ban. Going forward staff will continue to be able to represent the National Park Service at events. However, staff will be able to do so when events fall under the category of special. This will likely include celebrations like Pride, Black History Month, and Native American History Month. Employees will be able to march in parades and more, depending on their bureaus. Despite the quick change with the ban, some travelers foresee a drastic change in staff attendance. Only time will tell what the turnout will be for staff supporters attending Pride.