"DENVER — Days before the beginning of Pride Month in June, a glamorous drag queen with long, wavy red hair, a matching mustache and carabiner earrings stared into a camera and levied a strong accusation against a famous sustainable outdoors apparel brand: "This is a corporation trying to erase an activist."
The drag queen, Pattie Gonia, said in the video she was breaking her silence on a lawsuit filed against her by Patagonia, a brand blazed across the chests of adventure athletes and midtown Manhattan investment bankers alike. The apparel company is suing her for $1 for alleged trademark infringement, although experts say legal fees could easily surpass $1 million.
A maelstrom of social media posts quickly followed, as drag has a long history of parodying famous names. Many expressed indignation that a climate-friendly clothing brand would appear to go after a beloved climate activist. Others chided Pattie Gonia for leveling the accusation against Patagonia, a company considered by many as a leader in sustainability, without painting a full picture of the case.
Brittany Peterson reports for the Associated Press June 12, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Pattie Gonia: Nature’s Warrior Queen" (The Revelator)
https://therevelator.org/pattie-gonia-warrior-queen/
