Pattie Gonia

Pattie Gonia
Pattie Gonia in an advertisement for Ikon Pass in 2023
Born
Wyn Wiley

(1992-07-21) July 21, 1992
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Occupations
Known forDrag queen, environmental and LGBTQIA+ activist

Wyn Wiley (born July 21, 1992),[1] known professionally as Pattie Gonia, is an American drag queen, environmental and LGBTQ+ activist, and community organizer.

Early life and education

Wiley is from Lincoln, Nebraska.[2][3]

Wiley graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a degree in advertising and public relations in 2014.[4] They[a] have worked as a creative director and professional photographer.[5][6][3]

Activism and career

Wiley's first experiment with drag was in early 2018, as the character "Ginger Snap".[7][2] In October 2018, Wiley created the character Pattie Gonia, producing short-form outdoors activism content on Instagram and TikTok, while in drag.[1][8] The first video as Pattie Gonia, posted on October 3, gained more than 100 million views.[6][9] Pattie Gonia has said that the drag name was inspired by the Patagonia region of South America.[10][11] The pun is often described as a reference to the outdoor apparel brand Patagonia, Inc.[1][5]

Pattie Gonia's activism focuses on environmental and LGBTQ+ issues, promoting acceptance of queer identities in the environmentalist and outdoors communities, and promoting awareness of climate change and its effects.[3][1] Euronews described this form of activism as "intersectional environmentalism".[12]

In addition to online content, Pattie Gonia organizes in-person hikes and events for LGBTQ and environmental causes.[13][14] They also developed a job board for queer folks seeking jobs and for companies to share job postings.[8]

In January 2022, Wiley co-founded "The Outdoorist Oath", a nonprofit working on diversity, equity, and inclusion and environmental causes in the outdoors community.[15][16][17] Pattie Gonia partnered with The North Face for their 2022 "Summer of Pride" series.[18][3] The series comprised four outdoor community-building events focused on local LGBTQ+ engagement and acceptance.[19][20]

Pattie Gonia is a firm supporter of Palestinian Nationalism and has spoken up against the Israeli government throughout the Gaza War. They attended the 2024 GLAAD Awards holding a sign reading "End Genocide End Ecocide" as a reference to the war in Gaza and worldwide ecocide.[21]

In 2024, Pattie Gonia hosted an environmental drag show titled "Anti-Plastic Fantastic", advocating against single-use plastics and the waste of not reusing clothing.[22] In 2025, they gave a TedTalk about the role of joy in the fight against climate change and supporting queer rights.[23]

Awards and recognition

In 2020, Pattie Gonia was named to the Out100, Out magazine's annual list of the "most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people."[6][24] They were also nominated for the Shorty Awards in the LGBTQ+ category.[25] In 2023, Time magazine included Pattie Gonia in their list of Next Generation Leaders.[26] In 2024, Pattie Gonia was named a National Geographic Traveler of the Year.[27]

Media coverage

In December 2018, Wiley was interviewed by REI, an outdoor clothing company, alongside the release of their first music video as Pattie Gonia.[28][29] In November 2019, they were the subject of a REI documentary titled "Dear Mother Nature".[30][25][31] It was accompanied by a shorter, 3-minute spoken word poem video titled "Everything to Lose".[32][33] Pattie Gonia later produced a video with BBC News about the activist's work in March 2020.[34]

Pattie Gonia attracted media attention for attending the January 2019 Outdoor Retailer's trade show in all-white drag.[2][10]

In October 2022, Pattie Gonia was the subject of media coverage for their Halloween costume, where they dressed as climate change.[35] They have previously designed other outfits in support of climate causes and awareness, such as a dress and wigs made of recycled trash, for their TikTok and Instagram content.[36][13][37]

In 2023, Pattie Gonia released "Won't Give Up"[38] with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Indigenous trans musician Quinn Christopherson.[26] The music video was filmed in Kenai Fjords National Park as a tribute to Exit Glacier, a melting glacier in Alaska which was once a hundred feet tall.[38]

In 2024, an image of Pattie Gonia standing with Kamala Harris at a pride event in 2022 was used in an advertisement for the Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign. The commercial used transgender people to attack Harris, stating that "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you." The ad criticized Harris's statements that all people should be allowed gender-affirming healthcare, including inmates. Pattie Gonia responded to the ad on social media, noting that the Trump campaign did not have permission to use the image and directing followers to a fundraiser for two LGBTQ advocacy groups.[39]

Also in 2024, Pattie toured with their show SAVE HER!, an environmental drag show. The show visited a number of cities across the U.S.[22]

Patagonia trademark lawsuit

On January 21, 2026, the outdoor apparel company Patagonia, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Wiley and his company, Entrepreneur Enterprises Inc., doing business as Pattie Gonia Productions, alleging trademark infringement and dilution.[40][41]

Patagonia filed the lawsuit after Pattie Gonia filed a trademark application with the US Patent and Trademark Office seeking exclusive commercial rights to the "Pattie Gonia" brand for clothing, speaking engagements, marketing, and other categories of goods and services.[40][11] Pattie Gonia has denied using Patagonia's logo to sell merchandise and said the lawsuit is an attempt to "erase" her name and activism.[11][42]

A scheduling conference in the case was set for June 8, 2026.[43]

Personal life

Pattie Gonia uses she/her and they/them pronouns when in drag.[35] Out of drag, Wiley identifies as a gay male.[10] He lives in Oregon.[26]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Wiley uses he/him pronouns out of drag and she/her and they/them pronouns as Pattie Gonia. This article uses they/them for consistency.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Meet Pattie Gonia, the Backpacking Drag Queen Promoting Inclusivity in the Outdoors". SELF. December 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Berger, Erin (August 12, 2019). "Outdoorsqueen Pattie Gonia Wants You to Find Your Six-Inch Heels". Outside. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Meet The Drag Queen Environmentalist Helping Queer People Find Freedom In Nature". HuffPost. July 20, 2022. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  4. ^ Weinberger, Madi (December 4, 2014). "Photographer Wyn Wiley has 'phenomenal eye for capturing life'". The Daily Nebraskan. Archived from the original on 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  5. ^ a b Perry, Grace (November 15, 2018). "Pattie Gonia: the drag queen Eagle Scout who dances on mountaintops". Outside – via The Guardian.
  6. ^ a b c "Pattie Gonia Is Taking Drag Outdoors for Climate Activism". Out Traveler. February 25, 2022. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  7. ^ "For This Outdoor Drag Queen, the Trail Is a Runway". Sierra Club. Archived from the original on 2022-11-12. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  8. ^ a b Klusendorf, Annie (April 19, 2022). "Q&A: Pattie Gonia on Outdoor Advocacy and Nature's Queerness". Field Mag. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "This Backpacking Drag Queen Makes Hiking in Heels Look Easy". ELLE. January 11, 2019. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "Pattie Gonia is Making Hiking Fabulous". Backpacker. 6 February 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-11-20. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  11. ^ a b c Tumin, Remy (June 2, 2026). "Patagonia Is Suing Pattie Gonia Over Trademark Infringement: What to Know". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  12. ^ Campbell, Maeve (October 22, 2020). "Meet Pattie Gonia: An environmental drag queen on a mission". Euronews. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Kennedy, Sarah (July 16, 2021). "A conversation with environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia". Yale Climate Connections.
  14. ^ "Meet the drag queen on a mission to create safe outdoor spaces for underrepresented communities". The Seattle Times. November 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  15. ^ Hirsh, Sophie (August 9, 2022). "Pattie Gonia Is the Intersectional Environmentalist Drag Queen Making a Difference (Exclusive)". Green Matters. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  16. ^ Hirsh, Sophie (January 14, 2022). "Activists Launch "Outdoorist Oath" Community to Celebrate "Planet, Inclusion, and Adventure"". Green Matters. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  17. ^ "What It Means to Sign On to the New Outdoorist Oath". Sierra Club. Archived from the original on 2022-11-18. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  18. ^ Helms, Hayley (May 23, 2022). "The North Face and Pattie Gonia Team Up for 'Summer of Pride'". Gear Patrol. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  19. ^ Menetre, Giorgia. "Pattie Gonia and The North Face Team up for Summer of Pride". Teton Gravity Research. Archived from the original on 2022-11-12. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  20. ^ Ernest, Maya (23 May 2022). "The North Face taps drag queen Pattie Gonia to celebrate Pride". Input.
  21. ^ Durban, Erin L.; Moore, Megan A. (2024-11-01). "Introduction: Transecologies, Trans* Ecologies, TransEcologies". TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. 11 (4): 531–541. doi:10.1215/23289252-11421118. ISSN 2328-9252.
  22. ^ a b Allaire, Christian (2024-09-26). "Pattie Gonia's Environmental Drag Show Was "Anti-Plastic Fantastic"". Vogue. Archived from the original on 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  23. ^ Sprayregen, Molly. "Pattie Gonia gives Historic TED Talk in Drag on Why Joy is Critical to Resistance". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on 2025-05-24. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  24. ^ "Out100 2019". Out. Archived from the original on 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  25. ^ a b "Pattie Gonia - The Shorty Awards". Shorty Awards. Archived from the original on 2022-11-12. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  26. ^ a b c Mandel, Kyla (October 5, 2023). "How This Drag Queen Is Fostering an Inclusive Outdoor Community". Time. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  27. ^ "They Inspire us and Teach us about the World: Meet our 2024 Travelers of the Year". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 2025-07-01. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  28. ^ Parris, Aer (December 10, 2018). "Pattie Gonia, Backpacking Queen, Releases Her First Full-Length Video". REI. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  29. ^ Climb Every Mountain | Pattie Gonia. 9 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ "REI Presents: 'Everything to Lose' by Pattie Gonia". REI. November 21, 2019. Archived from the original on November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  31. ^ REI Presents: Dear Mother Nature, starring Pattie Gonia. 21 November 2019. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022 – via Youtube.
  32. ^ Lozancich, Katie (7 July 2019). "Live Like Pattie Gonia: Mother Nature Takes Pride in YOU". Teton Gravity Research. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  33. ^ REI Presents: Everything to Lose by Pattie Gonia. 21 November 2019. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ "Hiking and beach cleaning - in heels and drag". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-11-12. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  35. ^ a b Hubbard, Halisia (October 31, 2022). "Drag queen Pattie Gonia wanted a scary Halloween costume. She went as climate change". NPR. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  36. ^ "Pattie Gonia Is the Drag Queen Bringing Environmentalism to TikTok". Vogue. October 3, 2021. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  37. ^ "Pattie Gonia: The drag queen on a mission to save the mothertuckin' planet". Attitude. March 23, 2021. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  38. ^ a b Veltman, Chloe (November 14, 2023). "This trio hopes 'Won't Give Up' will become an anthem for the climate movement". NPR. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  39. ^ "Drag queen whose image was used in a Trump ad is reviewing 'legal options'". NBC News. 2024-10-04. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  40. ^ a b Soni, Aruni (January 21, 2026). "Patagonia Sues Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Over Activist's Trademark". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  41. ^ Dreier, Frederick (January 23, 2026). "Patagonia Is Suing Pattie Gonia. No, That's Not a Typo". Outside. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  42. ^ Burke, Minyvonne (May 29, 2026). "Drag queen Pattie Gonia asks apparel company Patagonia to drop trademark infringement lawsuit". NBC. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  43. ^ "Local Drag Activist Pattie Gonia Tells Patagonia: 'Drop the Lawsuit'". The Source Weekly. May 28, 2026. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
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