When LARPing as a Woman Is No Longer Enough

Meet Pattie Gonia.

“Pattie Gonia” AKA Wyn Wiley, 34, (unconfirmed relation to the famous coyote) is a drag queen and self-styled environmental activist openly parodying the Patagonia name. While I would normally be in favor of parody rights, given my parody title, I Am Jazz’s Waking Nightmare, what distinguishes Wyn from myself, besides our sex, is that he decided to ignore Patagonia’s patient guidance. They warned him, and he still tried to trademark the name “Pattie Gonia” for the purpose of selling clothing merch - what the Patagonia brand is famous for. No longer merely parodying the name for art, he had become a competitor in a tight apparel market. Patagonia had warned him, years ago, that this would be a bridge too far. He said he had heard them. His need to transgress overcame his sensibilities.

Help! Help! I’m being erased because you’re not letting me pretend to be you! Help!!

Patagonia is required to defend their trademark or else they risk losing the ability to enforce trademark rights - and their financial reason to do so, as their brand dilutes in the market. Patagonia has now sued him for $1, in order to force him to stop using the name “Pattie Gonia” to sell merchandise, as well as to get him to cease his mimicry of their label. In return, he has only offered to withdraw his trademark application. That is not enough for Patagonia.

Since being sued, Wyn has taken to Tiktok to cry foul at the transphobic capitalist borg that is trying to crush his mxm and pxp business on the eve of Pride month, in a year when so much terf rhetoric hath been uttered.

He has also published an open letter on his website, calling out the obvious motive: Patagonia does not want him to exist.

So let’s take a step back and reflect on the psychology of these men, using this case study of a man who was so affirmed and encouraged in his female impersonation that he sought to impersonate an entire company. So he did, and still, again, he hungered, so he took it a step further. Now Patagonia has been predictably forced by his incursion to draw the line and call for help. In return, Patagonia, the clothing brand that makes puffy generojackets for vegan hikers who plan to climb Everest eventually, is having their name dragged through the mud. Patagonia is the premier purveyor of butch lesbian trail fashion, so of course they’re being targeted by a guy in a dress who thinks he is one of them. I just never thought I’d see these guys try to compulsively mimic and force-team an entire class B corporation.

Wyn may lose this round. He’s already facing backlash on Tiktok from people respecting his pronouns. It seems the general consensus is that he’s clearly infringing on their trademark to a reasonable person. Further, many do not like that Wyn is manipulating people, such as by stating that he got his drag name from the geographical region directly rather than from the Patagonia brand, contradicting past statements, or that he is a victim of anti-queer sentiment. He is targeting a corporation that is broadly aligned with his goals. And like any other handmaiden, their allyship did not protect them.