Environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia has vowed to fight back after outdoor clothing company Patagonia launched a trademark lawsuit against the activist performer.
Wyn Wiley, who performs as Pattie Gonia, has built an online following of more than three million people through environmental campaigning and outdoor activism, raising almost $4m for non-profit organisations. Last year alone, Wiley raised $1m by hiking 100 miles in full drag from Point Reyes National Seashore to San Francisco.
The brand Patagonia, named after the vast region spanning parts of Argentina and Chile, filed the trademark infringement lawsuit in a federal court in Los Angeles on January 21.
The company claims Wiley’s trademark application, submitted in September, to use the name “Pattie Gonia” for clothing and environmental activism could “irreparably harm” the Patagonia brand. Although Patagonia is seeking only a nominal $1 in damages alongside legal fees, Wiley says the true cost lies in the financial burden of defending the case.
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Speaking publicly about the lawsuit for the first time in an Instagram video posted on Wednesday, May 27, Wiley accused the company of betraying its environmental values. “This is not a brand conflict,” Wiley said. “This is a corporation trying to erase an activist. This is how corporations bully individuals who cannot match their resources.”
Wiley also shared an open letter addressed to Patagonia’s chief executive and board of directors, urging the company to abandon the legal action. “This is a betrayal of Patagonia’s core mission,” the letter states. “If Patagonia is ‘in business to save the home planet’, why are they suing a climate activist?”
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The drag performer acknowledged that some of their merchandise involved “playful parody” of Patagonia, but denied ever copying the company’s logo, branding or typeface. “Drag is built on parody, puns and jokes,” Wiley wrote.
Patagonia defended its decision in a statement, saying it had spent several years attempting to reach an agreement with Wiley without resorting to legal action. “Unfortunately, we could not reach an agreement,” the company said. “This matter is not about seeking financial gain, nor is it about challenging anyone’s identity or right to advocacy, protest, or creative expression.”
The retailer added that it respected Wiley’s activism and shared many of the same environmental values, but insisted it had a responsibility to protect its trademark. In a pointed message to Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, Wiley quoted the businessman’s own words on corporate responsibility: “You are what you do, not what you say you are.”
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