#165 | Pattie Gonia: All Things Drag Queen, Hiking in High Heels, and Advocacy for Inclusive Outdoors

Sep 5, 2022

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In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Wyn Wiley, better known online as Pattie Gonia. Pattie is a "professional homosexual", environmentalist, and a drag queen. This conversation is fun and informative. We go deep learning all the fun nuances of the drag world, including what goes into a good tuck (who owns the title for the GOAT of tucking), the best drag songs, and the core components of a good drag performance. Pattie shares all the good work she's is doing with various outdoor organizations to improve representation in the outdoors. And of course we get a run down of what goes into being ultra-athletic in high heel boots.

We close the show with a triple crown of awkward places to run into an ex, a Q&A segment, and we cover if thru-hiking the PCT can give you a dumptruck ass.

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Interview with Wyn Wiley aka Pattie Gonia

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:56 - QOTD: What’s the easiest meal of the day to eat healthfully?

00:10:39 - Reminder: Apply to be a 2023 Trek Blogger

00:11:34 - Introducing Wyn!

00:13:05 - Who is Wyn Wiley?

00:15:26 - How did you become Pattie Gonia?

00:17:40 - Were you always openly queer?

00:19:23 - Who put boundaries on you as a kid?

00:22:10 - How do you run in high heels?

00:24:20 - What were you thinking when you posted some of your first viral videos?

00:27:22 - Were some people okay with you being gay but not with your wearing heels?

00:29:26 - Can you explain Wyn and Pattie’s different pronouns?

00:31:40 - What’s a good protocol for knowing when to ask someone their preferred pronouns?

00:33:36 - Discussion about being Pattie versus Wyn

00:35:10 - What’s the most difficult physical endeavor you’ve done in heels?

00:36:14 - Discussion about tucking

00:41:45 - Tell us about your hiking clothes.

00:42:48 - Do you have any tips for hiking in heels?

00:44:42 - Do you have any good eating shit stories from hiking in heels?

00:45:41 - Tell us about your recent event with the North Face.

00:48:29 - How can businesses be better allies?

00:50:34 - How can businesses move into the advocacy space?

00:52:31 - Do you want to give any particular people a shoutout?

00:54:09 - Have you had experiences where brands have approached you the wrong way?

00:55:48 - What were some of the biggest lessons you learned?

00:57:18 - What do you recommend for people looking to join queer outdoor communities?

00:59:07 - What does into a 10/10 drag performance?

01:03:42 - If you’re stranded on drag island, what 3 songs do you bring for your performance?

01:05:25 - If you were to make a drag starter pack, what would be in it?

01:06:28 - What is your go-to hiking snack?

01:11:18 - Do you feel like the thru-hiking community better accepts the queer community?

01:15:35 - How do you think you can bring more straight, white men to allyship?

01:17:01 - Do you see any backlash for caring about hair and makeup in the outdoors?

01:20:10 - Tell us about your makeup process.

01:22:09 - If you could pick only 3 pieces of makeup, what would you choose?

01:22:50 - Tell us about the plastics crisis work you did in Hawaii.

01:27:50 - Tell us about your organization, the Outdoorist Oath.

01:28:56 - What are the first projects your organization is starting with?

01:30:32 - Can you tell us about calling out NOLS?

01:37:29 - What should companies prioritize to do better by communities?

01:40:03 - Where can people go to keep up with you?

SEGMENTS

Trek Propaganda

Hiker Dies After Being Found Unresponsive on Mt. Washington by Penina Satlow

Triple Crown of awkward places to bump into an ex

Instagram Q&A

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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