In late May, the North Face rolled out an ad campaign featuring drag queen and environmentalist Pattie Gonia. The outdoor equipment and clothing brand's Instagram ad showed the rainbow-clad queen frolicking in forests and meadows, inviting viewers to "come out in nature . . . with us!"
Although it was the second year that Pattie Gonia and the North Face had collaborated on Pride-theme advertising, the campaign led conservatives to call for a boycott of North Face products. Similar situations have played out repeatedly this year, with big corporations such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, Target and Kohl's facing ire over marketing and merchandising efforts that include queer people.