Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, is suing drag queen Pattie Gonia for $1 for alleged trademark infringement after Gonia filed applications to use the name Pattie Gonia for apparel, online marketing, motivational speaking services and more.

“These products and services compete directly with the products and advocacy upon which Patagonia built its Patagonia brand over the last fifty-three years,” the lawsuit reads.

According to the lawsuit, while Gonia and the water bottle company Hydroflask were collaborating in 2022, Patagonia and Gonia had reached an agreement that Gonia was going to “refrain from selling Pattie Gonia-branded products or using fonts or designs that copy, or are substantially similar to, Patagonia’s logos.”

The lawsuit alleges Gonia ignored that agreement and began selling merch under the Pattie Gonia brand. In 2025, Patagonia reached out to Gonia again, but Patagonia alleges that it was clear Gonia wasn’t going to comply with the agreement the two had made in 2022.

“Consumers are already confused about whether PATTIE GONIA is affiliatedwith Patagonia,” the lawsuit reads.

In a January statement when the lawsuit was originally filed, Patagonia said the lawsuit is “necessary to protect” their brand.

“We’re not against art, creative expression, or commentary about our brand,” the statement reads. “We want Pattie to have a long and successful career and make progress on issues that matter — but in a way that respects Patagonia’s intellectual property and ability to use our brand to sell products and advocate for the environment.”

In a TikTok posted a week ago, Gonia said the lawsuit is not a “brand conflict”; instead, it’s a “corporation trying to erase an activist.”

She continued, saying the lawsuit is a betrayal of Patagonia’s core mission, which is “protect the home planet.”

“Patagonia, drop the lawsuit,” Gonia said in her TikTok, which had nearly 5 million views as of publication.

Gonia said her drag persona started in 2018 when she put on a pair of heels while backpacking and then named herself after the region in South America, a name, she pointed out, predates the clothing brand by 500 years.

She said the use of Patagonia’s logo as her own was fan and parody art and that the agreement the two reached in 2022 was not a “broad agreement” about Gonia’s future.

Gonia said she believes that Patagonia waited until a time when anti-LGBTQ+ discourse is at an all-time high to fight her and to expect no pushback.

“If Patagonia wants to celebrate Pride Month this year by taking a queer climate activist to federal court, then I am here to fight for myself, and I am here to fight for us,” Gonia said in her TikTok.

Gonia asked her followers to join her in asking Patagonia to drop the lawsuit.

After Gonia’s TikTok, Patagonia said in a statement that it has a “responsibility to protect the company.”

“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 statement reads. “The last thing we wanted was a legal fight with someone who shares our values, but we must protect our business and employees.”

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