words by Hannah rose Méndez
Video by emma blackman
Drag queen and outdoor equity activist extraordinaire Pattie Gonia sits down with us for our latest installment of 60 Seconds on Earth.
There’s not much Pattie Gonia—TikTok’s favourite environmentalist drag queen—hasn’t done. They’ve picked up discarded trash in a gown made from recycled trash. They’ve recreated an eco-version of The Sound of Music about climate change. They’ve lip synced for their life—and ours—to draw attention to global warming and the urgent work of the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. Not to mention, they’ve been hiking in heels.
In our latest edition of 60 Seconds on Earth, Atmos asks Pattie Gonia a series of rapid-fire questions to help you get to know them a little better. From their base in Bend, Oregon, they speak about ice skating in drag, becoming a house cat and their mission of getting systemically excluded communities outside.
The video includes only a few of the questions, but you can read the full interview below.
HANNAH ROSE MÉNDEZ
First off, how are you right now?
Pattie Gonia
I am tired. I am here. I am gay and I’m excited about climate solutions.
MÉNDEZ
And where are you right now?
Pattie Gonia
Today you are getting a full drag surf from my backyard. We are in Bend, Oregon in beautiful warm Springs, native land.
MÉNDEZ
What is your favorite outdoor space in the U.S.?
Pattie Gonia
My favorite place I’ve ever been is any frozen lake that I get to ice skate on. I love ice skating in drag, out of drag. It’s so amazing to get to do such a beautiful art form outdoors and frozen ice is crazy beautiful. It’s so cool.
MÉNDEZ
Love it—and best place you’ve traveled to?
Pattie Gonia
The best place I’ve ever traveled to is the place where Patty was born up on the Continental Divide Trail. I put on six inch high heel boots for the first time and strutted. It changed my life, and it’s one of the most surreal landscapes I’ve ever been to in my life.
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MÉNDEZ
What’s something you can’t hike without?
Pattie Gonia
I can’t hike without my six inch high heel boots. But also I cannot hike without sunscreen.
MÉNDEZ
What’s in your backpack?
Pattie Gonia
What’s in my backpack? Food, more food, snacks, other snacks, dried mangoes, Oreos, M&Ms. Also my makeup kit, my six inch high heels, my femininity, my masculinity, my everything in between.
“What’s in my backpack? My makeup kit, my six inch high heels, my femininity, my masculinity, my everything in between.”
MÉNDEZ
I live for dried mangoes. How can the outdoor adventure industry help with diversity?
Pattie Gonia
I think the outdoor industry has an amazing chance to support the outdoor nonprofits, which are doing the work to diversify the outdoors and truly get systemically excluded communities outside.
MÉNDEZ
What has been your favorite Pattie look so far?
Pattie Gonia
That’s a hard one. I would say my favorite Pattie look to date was a dress I made during quarantine with my friend Dana out of trash.
We collected trash from our house, from our neighbors’ houses, from our friends’ houses. And we made this amazing Marie Antoinette trash dress from head to toe out of plastic and different items that we just found in our house. We made it into art.
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MÉNDEZ
How long did that take?
Pattie Gonia
It took so long. My best friend Dana is the one that really truly did the damn thing. I provided art direction and did some of the small tasks, but she created the vision.
MÉNDEZ
What is your favorite species of bird?
Pattie Gonia
My favorite species of bird is the Western Meadowlark. The state bird of Nebraska, my home state.
MÉNDEZ
Lush green or snowy mountain hikes?
Pattie Gonia
Snowy mountain hikes, so there’s less people out there plus there’s some wild ice to skate on.
MÉNDEZ
Tell us a little bit quickly about The Outdoorist Oath?
Pattie Gonia
The Oath is an education model that teaches not just allyship for planet, but for people too. How do we treat each other in the outdoors? How can we get more different kinds of people outside? To fall in love with nature and therefore fight for this planet?
MÉNDEZ
How do you find rest?
Pattie Gonia
I live by the motto, give a damn, take a break, and I think I’ve tried to embody that a lot this year by taking big periods of time off and then going into the fire and trying to do all I can.
I think it is definitely a balance that I’m learning. I’m not good at it yet, but it’s something that I’m learning is really important to take a break.
“What does give me hope is working together, collaboration, sharing joy with other people, focusing on the solutions instead of just the problems.”
MÉNDEZ
How do you stay hopeful about the future?
Pattie Gonia
Honestly, I’m not a lot of the time. But what does give me hope is working together, collaboration, sharing joy with other people, focusing on the solutions instead of just the problems and realizing that, at the end of the day, if this planet is going to go down burning, I’m going to go down dancing.
MÉNDEZ
If you could be any animal what would you be?
Pattie Gonia
A house cat.
MÉNDEZ
Interesting choice.
Pattie Gonia
Their needs are met, they are loved. They think that the world is just the walls of the house. They have friends, they get to meet cool people.
MÉNDEZ
Morning bird or night owl?
Pattie Gonia
I am slowly becoming a morning bird. That is almost turning 30.
MÉNDEZ
Dog person or a cat person? I think I know the answer.
Pattie Gonia
Cat person.
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MÉNDEZ
What’s one hike or outdoor adventure that you’re dying to do?
Pattie Gonia
There’s so many. I really want to go hiking in Patagonia. My namesake.
MÉNDEZ
Who are your drag inspirations?
Pattie Gonia
Sasha Velour hands down, artistic wizard. Trixie Mattel, comedy queen. I bow down to thee.
MÉNDEZ
Platforms or stilettos?
Pattie Gonia
Crocs but, honestly, any shoe that gets me outside.
MÉNDEZ
That’s a great answer. Is there one mantra you live by?
Pattie Gonia
If there’s one mantra I live by, it’s just that you are loved. Because I think we need more love on this planet, especially for all the queer babies out there. We need to know that we are loved and we are natural and we are queer because nature is queer as fuck.
MÉNDEZ
What’s your go to karaoke song?
Pattie Gonia
Vanessa Carlton: “A Thousand Miles”.
“We need to know that we are loved and we are natural and we are queer because nature is queer as fuck.”
MÉNDEZ
Favorite show to binge watch?
Pattie Gonia
I just finished the fourth season of Ozark in a day, so Ozark.
MÉNDEZ
Country girl or city slicker?
Pattie Gonia
Queer fairy nymph.
MÉNDEZ
When do you feel most confident?
Pattie Gonia
I’d say when I’m around people that I love and that love me for all that I am.
MÉNDEZ
And what makes you feel at home?
Pattie Gonia
Good food, good friends, cats.
MÉNDEZ
All right. Well that’s all the questions I have for you today.
Pattie Gonia
You’re amazing. That was so fast.
MÉNDEZ
That’s the idea. Thank you so much. It was so nice meeting you.
Pattie Gonia
It was so good meeting you too.
