The drag performer and environmental activist, whose non-performance name is Wyn Wiley, created the drag persona back in 2018.
In December, CG covered the efforts of drag artist and environmental activist Pattie Gonia to raise more than $1 million in support of equitable access to nature with a 100-mile trek. Last week, the popular performer shared a video on social media, publicly addressing the lawsuit that the billion-dollar outdoor apparel brand Patagonia has filed against them.
The performer, whose non-performance name is Wyn Wiley, created the drag persona back in 2018. Wiley filed a trademark application in September 2025 to use "Pattie Gonia" in association with clothing, events, and activism.
Patagonia, long positioned as an environmentally forward brand, sued Wiley for trademark infringement in January, asserting that the persona infringes on the company's trademark and could "irreparably harm" the corporation. Notably, the company's name is itself taken from the extensive region of Argentina and Chile.
Wiley has asserted that "parody, puns, and jokes" are key to the art of drag. They have also noted that while the company has sued for just $1 plus legal fees, there is concern that those legal expenses could top $1 million and that the case could take away the artist's performance name and even jeopardize their activism, which the Guardian noted has raised nearly $4 million for nonprofits.
Earlier this week, Pattie Gonia rejected an offer from the company to settle the suit. The brand has faced vocal backlash over its legal actions, while experts have spoken out on both sides of the case.
Some have maintained that it's important to protect against "trademark dilution," while others have challenged that argument.
"This idea that you have to go after every use of your mark or every use of something similar to maintain your rights, that's just not really true," Northeastern University law and media professor Alexandra Roberts told OUT magazine.
There's also the question of whether anyone should really be able to trademark a geographical name.
"No company or individual could ever ethically claim exclusive commercial rights over a regional name like Patagonia," anthropologist Claudia Briones told HEATED, pointing to concerns of colonization and more. "Capitalism or capitalist interests can neither transform everything into merchandise nor swallow up and benefit from everything in its own exclusive benefit."
Kirsten Krueger contributed to the editing of this article.
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