Beloved drag queen, performer, and environmentalist Pattie Gonia has just raised $1 million in less than a week, all while backpacking 100 miles in full drag.
In picture-perfect makeup and a large red-haired wig, she approached her final destination earlier today.
In a video announcement shared earlier this week, Pattie — whose off-stage name is Wyn Wiley — launched the initiative, starting about 100 miles north of San Francisco, where she backpacked along the coast until she reached the heart of the Bay Area for her final drag show of the year.
“[I’ll be] getting in drag every single day, setting up camp every single night, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, and into my final show of the year; that is, if I can make it in time,” she said in the video.
Pattie will end her journey celebrating with fans and friends at a drag show on December 6 at San Francisco’s The Warfield.
And she’ll be showing up right on time.
This morning, as her GoFundMe passed its $1 million threshold, she shared an update from the trail, at Mile 92.
“You all have raised $1 million,” she said joyously. “This is it. This is my final stretch to backpack 100 miles in drag. I can see my finish line — the Golden Gate Bridge — out there in the distance for the first time.”
A caption on the video shared that over 31,000 donors contributed to the campaign, with the average donation size coming in at $30.
Eight organizations, specifically dedicated to “diversifying the outdoors,” as Pattie described, will be the recipients of this funding. They include:
- Brave Trails
- Queer Outdoor Expedition
- The Children’s Home Project
- Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps
- Vámonos Outside
- YMCA Camp Kitaki
- The Outdoorist Oath
- Intersectional Environmentalist Film Project
A little over halfway through her journey, the drag queen posted a video directly aimed at President Donald Trump.
“Hi Trump. Pattie Gonia here,” she said smiling. “While you’re over there trying to take away grants for organizations doing DEI and climate work in the outdoors, I’m out here backpacking 100 miles in drag, trying to raise $1 million for them.”
“And I’m doing it with my d—ck tucked.”
Pattie began hosting “drag shows for the planet” a couple of years ago, touring the country to promote sustainability and social justice through comedic and heartfelt performances.
She has also made headlines for her support of LGBTQ+ national park rangers, even going so far as to help raise a giant trans pride flag in Yosemite earlier this year.
And it seems like she won’t be slowing down any time soon — after a shower and a good night’s sleep, of course.
“All week, people have been saying that I am inspiring. Honestly, b—ch, you should be inspired. This sh—t is insane,” Pattie said in a video update the other day.
“However, you are all inspiring me just as much … Let’s keep on going.”
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Header images courtesy of Pattie Gonia/Instagram
