Climate activist and drag queen Pattie Gonia has been sued by outdoor recreation brand Patagonia over trademark infringement in what she called “a betrayal of (it’s) core mission.”
“Patagonia told the media they’re only suing me for $1, what they’re actually trying to do is to take away my name permanently and threaten me with more than $1 million in legal fees,” the Oregon-based drag queen, whose real name is Wyn Wiley, said in a video shared to her Instagram account on Wednesday, May 27. “This is not a brand conflict, this is a corporation trying to erase an activist.”
In addition to her video, Pattie Gonia shared an open letter to the company on her Instagram account, proposing they “make peace.” She also encouraged her followers to respectfully ask the company to drop the lawsuit.
“Our home planet needs every dollar and every moment of time we can all give to it right now,” she wrote. “We can’t afford to waste time and money fighting among ourselves.”
The lawsuit was reportedly filed in January, but she said she remained silent in an effort to resolve the matter without going to court.
“Over the past several years, we’ve tried to find a path forward that would allow Pattie Gonia to continue their work while also protecting the Patagonia trademark,” the company told Outside magazine in a statement. “These conversations have included multiple proposals — each intended to support that path — along with ongoing dialogue and genuine efforts to avoid this ending up in court. Unfortunately, we could not reach an agreement.”
Pattie Gonia has denied the company’s allegations of trademark infringement, arguing that her merchandise does not incorporate Patagonia branding. She also defends her 2025 trademark application for her drag name.
The drag queen said that while she shares a similar mission with the multi-billion dollar corporation founded in 1973, she actually based her name on the South American region of Patagonia.
In December, she backpacked 100 miles from Point Reyes National Seashore to San Francisco in full drag to raise awareness and money for eight environmental nonprofits across the country. She was able to fundraise $1.2 million from the stint.
“If they are in business to save the home planet, why are they suing a climate activist?” Pattie Gonia asked in her video. “This would take away not only my activism and my career, but also the livelihoods of the team that I employ.”
Pattie Gonia claims that the company has known about her existence for years, suggesting that they may have assumed taking legal action now would fly under the radar because of the uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ politics.