Patagonia sues drag performer Pattie Gonia in trademark dispute
The legal action against the environmentalist and activist has ignited a public relations crisis for the company, which claims it acted to protect its intellectual property after years of failed negotiations.
Patagonia has initiated a trademark infringement lawsuit against US environmentalist and drag performer Pattie Gonia, also known as Wyn Wiley, in a federal court in Los Angeles. The outdoor clothing company is seeking nominal damages of one dollar plus legal fees, alleging that Gonia’s September trademark application for the name “Pattie Gonia” to sell clothing and promote activism would irreparably harm the brand. The suit was filed on 21 January, though the full text was published by The Guardian on 28 May 2026.
The company stated it had engaged with Gonia for several years to avoid litigation but deemed action necessary to protect its intellectual property. In a statement, Patagonia said it wished it did not have to take this step but felt compelled to protect the brand it has spent 50 years building. The retailer maintained that the suit was not about financial gain or challenging identity, but about protecting its business and employees, noting that it could not reach an agreement with Gonia despite multiple proposals.
Gonia responded via Instagram, accusing the corporation of attempting to erase an activist and bullying an individual. The performer, who has accumulated millions of followers online and raised almost $4 million for non-profits, shared a letter sent to Patagonia’s board of directors asking them to drop the legal action. Gonia argued that the legal costs to defend their name would far exceed the claimed damages, describing the situation as a betrayal of Patagonia’s core mission to save the planet.
While acknowledging that their merchandise involved “playful parody” of Patagonia, Gonia denied ever using the company’s branding, logo, or font. The performer noted that drag is built on parody, puns, and jokes, and highlighted their recent activism, including raising $1 million while hiking 100 miles in full drag from Point Reyes national seashore to San Francisco last year. Gonia stated they had stayed silent for four months to resolve the matter without going to court but faced a choice between the erasure of their name and fighting for themselves and their community.
The lawsuit has drawn significant public backlash, with Patagonia’s social media channels inundated with thousands of comments from fans urging the company to drop the action. The dispute highlights the complex relationship between the retailer and its founder, Yvon Chouinard, who gave the entire company away to a trust and non-profit in 2022, directing all profits to saving the planet. Originally called Chouinard Equipment, the brand was renamed after a trip to the Patagonia region with Doug Tompkins, founder of The North Face.