Patagonia sues drag queen Pattie Gonia, seeking $1 for trademark infringement

Days before the beginning of Pride Month in June, a glamorous drag queen with long, wavy red hair, a matching mustache and carabiner earrings stared into a camera and levied a strong accusation against a famous sustainable outdoors apparel brand: “This is a corporation trying to erase an activist.” The drag queen, Pattie Gonia, said in the video she was breaking her silence on a lawsuit filed against her by Patagonia, a brand blazed across the chests of adventure athletes and midtown Manhattan investment bankers alike. The apparel company is suing her for $1 for alleged trademark infringement, although experts say legal fees could easily surpass $1 million. A maelstrom of social media posts quickly followed, as drag has a long history of parodying famous names. Many expressed indignation that a climate-friendly clothing brand would appear to go after a beloved climate activist. Others chided Pattie Gonia for leveling the accusation against Patagonia, a company considered by many as a leader in sustainability, without painting a full picture of the case. Why Patagonia is suing Pattie Gonia Pattie Gonia, whose given name is Wyn Wiley, is a drag queen based in Bend, Oregon. She is known for her climate activism and has a combined following of nearly 3 million people on TikTok and Instagram. She first went viral in 2018 after posting a clip wearing high heels while camping. She makes short, educational videos about climate change, created and tours with the “Save Her! Environmental Drag Show,” and is known for mobilizing climate activists and raising money for climate organizations. Patagonia says that Pattie Gonia infringed on its trademark by selling clothing and products under the “Pattie Gonia” name, which they say confuses consumers. “There doesn’t have to be actual consumer confusion to win a trademark infringement suit. If consumers are likely to be confused, that is sufficient,” said Tim Holbrook, an intellectual property professor at the University of Den