Drag queen Patti Gonia has broken her silence months after Patagonia sued her for trademark infringement.
In a May 27 Instagram post, Patti urged Patagonia to drop its lawsuit, claiming the outdoor clothing brand was “trying to eliminate activists” in a “betrayal of Patagonia’s core mission.”
In January, Patagonia sued Patty (whose stage name is Wynn Wiley) for $1 and attorney’s fees.
The company claimed Patagonia was plagiarizing the Patagonia brand after she filed a trademark application for the name “Patagonia” in September 2025, a claim the performer denied.
Both sides said they had worked to resolve the matter out of court.
“While we never wanted to enter a legal battle with someone who shares our values, we must protect our business and our employees,” Patagonia said in a statement.
USA TODAY has reached out to Patagonia for comment. A representative for Patty declined to comment beyond what was said on social media.
Why is Patagonia suing drag queen Patti Gonia?
If Patti’s trademark application is approved, performers will be able to use the name “Patti Gonia” to promote branded products and drag shows. In addition to being a drag performer, Patti is also an environmental activist and community organizer, and has raised more than $3 million for environmental nonprofits, according to her Instagram.
Patagonia argued in its complaint that the proposed trademark “appropriates the Patagonia brand and identity in a way that has already confused consumers and will continue to confuse consumers” about the association between Patti and Patagonia.
“The trademark application reflects Patti Gonia’s departure from individual use of the persona to participate in activism activities and instead confirms Defendants’ intent to launch a broad range of commercial operations under the Patti Gonia brand,” the complaint states.
The complaint cites examples of products sold or worn by Patti that use fonts and designs similar to the Patagonia logo. Patti said in a statement that the lawsuit “seeks to select a few examples of playful parody and fan art and spin them into a type of widespread use of the logo.”
The dispute between Pati Gonia and Patagonia goes back several years.
The lawsuit also details discussions between Patti and company representatives dating back to 2022.
Another brand that was working with Patti at the time contacted Patagonia to confirm that Patagonia would not disapprove of the collaboration. According to the complaint, Patti and Patagonia representatives met to address the issue and avoid future disputes.
But Patagonia alleges that Mr. Paty did not abide by the agreement reached in that meeting.
“For more than three years, Patagonia has had a frank dialogue with Patagonia to discuss how we can continue our environmental and social advocacy, brand deals, and other activities without infringing on our trademarks. We thought we had an agreement, and things worked out for a while,” the company said in a January statement.
However, Patty said in a statement that “there was no agreement.”
“When I was working with a third party in 2022, Patagonia asked me to abide by certain terms, and I complied. It was not a general agreement regarding my future,” she wrote.
Patti Gonia says Patagonia is ‘trying to take away my name forever’
In a statement, Patti said she chose the drag name after the Patagonia region in South America, which she said is “500 years older than me and my clothing brand.”
“Patagonia told the media they were suing me for just $1. What they’re actually trying to do is permanently remove my name and threaten me with more than $1 million in legal fees,” she said.
She also shared an open letter to Patagonia’s CEO, board of directors, and the trust that Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard gave Patagonia to in 2022.
“Our home planet needs all the money and all the time we can all give right now. We cannot afford to waste time and money fighting among ourselves,” she wrote.
Patagonia said the lawsuit “does not seek financial gain or challenge anyone’s identity or right to advocacy, protest, or creative expression.”
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. X Keep up with her at @melinakh and on Instagram @bymelinakhan.
