A drag queen and environmental activist has gone public with a legal battle they are facing against a well known clothing brand they share the same name with. Pattie Gonia, a drag queen from the US who uses their platform to spread awareness about environmental initiatives, has informed their millions of followers about the efforts of outdoor clothing brand Patagonia to sue them for filing for a trademark of their name. Pattie, who’s real name is Wyn Wiley, said that while the brand is only suing for one dollar, they would also be responsible for paying the “more than $1 million dollars in legal fees” from the lawsuit. Legal FilingsPatagonia filed a lawsuit against the performer on January 21, which said that Wiley committed trademark infringements that were likely to cause “confusion, mistake, or deception” and “dilute Patagonia’s famous and distinctive marks by diminishing their distinctiveness and singular association with Patagonia.”The document, published to the Patagonia website, states: “As a direct and proximate result of Pattie Gonia’s conduct, Patagonia is entitled to recover nominal damages in the amount of one dollar ($1.00) and an award of attorneys’ fees.”The filings also included emails from the Patagonia team to Wiley with negotiations they had made when Pattie Gonia was planning to collaborate with the brand Hydroflask in 2022, which said the drag queen was asked not to use ‘Pattie Gonia’ on any form of product. They argue that the release of recent products from Wiley, including apparel with their stage name on it, are in breach of this agreement. In a statement, Patagonia expressed their support for Pattie Gonia but said the drag queen had refused to stick to the previous agreement they had made. “While we wish we didn’t have to do this – and actively engaged with Pattie for several years to avoid this – it has become necessary to protect the brand we have spent the last 50 years building,” the statement said. “Pattie Gonia’s use of a near-copy of our name commercially – including as a brand for environmental advocacy – and their trademark application seeking to obtain the exclusive right to use that name going forward, pose long-term threats to Patagonia’s brand and our activism.”Videos + PG statementPattie took to Instagram to share their thoughts about the ongoing legal dispute, with a two part video series and an open letter to the Patagonia senior leadership teams. In the first video, they explain the situation from their perspective and suggest the original terms of their agreement did not apply beyond the brand collaboration in 2022. “Patagonia, a multi billion dollar corporation, went to federal court in January to say that I am causing irreparable harm for their brand by doing “motivational speaking services in support of environmental sustainability” and “organising, arranging and conducting trail and hiking events,” they said. “This is not a brand conflict. This is a corporation trying to erase an activist.” In the second video, Pattie Gonia references a video of Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert saying the lawsuit was mainly “a trademark issue”. “We have never had an interest in taking Pattie’s name away, identity away. Stopping them from performing drag or keeping them from engaging in environmental activism or more equitable access to the outdoors,” Mr Gellert said in the video. Pattie responded to the remarks with a new deal, suggesting they would drop the trademark claim if the brand dropped the lawsuit against them. “The lawsuit hurts not only me and everything I’ve built but also the people I employ, the millions of people I try to inspire, and dozens of non-profit organisations that I have supported,” Pattie wrote in their open letter on May 27. “This lawsuit serves no good purpose. Let’s make peace and get back to our common love of the planet including our namesake region in South America named Patagonia”.Recent conclusionThe brand responded by releasing a statement to their social media to update their customers. “We wish this lawsuit had not been necessary, and we want to acknowledge any hurt it has caused, especially in the LGBTQ+ community,” they said. The statement said the brand “don’t want to argue trademark law on social media” but reiterate that “we share common ground with (Pattie Gonia),” and reaffirm their previous stance on the use of the Pattie Gonia name on products. Pattie Gonia responded, saying the brand was trying to “erase my advocacy” and limit the partnerships that help fund their activism. “If I can’t do partnerships as Pattie Gonia, it breaks the whole ecosystem of advocacy and community engagement,” they said in a post on Monday.“(Patagonia) understand this because their work is built on the same model – advocacy work funded through commercial work.”“No deal, Patagonia.”The lawsuit has left many divided online, with comments in support for both Pattie and the brand. Many compared the situation to another drag queen, Jan Sport, who teamed up with the brand of the same name to release a collaboration and negotiated to drop the ‘Sport’ from their name for copyright reasons.