Army of Club Penguin

Addressed to the Army of Club Penguin

Blizzard, Shamrock Bulletin Headquarters – The Army of Club Penguin has one of the most prevalent communities in armies. Within that community, ACP has a large amount of LGBTQ+ members with their own journies and experiences yet to be told. In this article, we will ask a member to share their own story and experiences outside of CPA.

Zoomey is a member of the Higher Command team in the Army of Club Penguin. They were recently promoted to second-in-command (Field Marshal) after working hard within the HCOM team, proving themselves as a crucial figure within the army. There is much more to Zoomey than people know, however. Outside of ACP, Zoomey is a part of a much bigger community and has his own story that many people do not know.

With that being said, we decided to sit down with Zoomey and talk to him about his journey, experience and even life lessons.

So, let’s begin at the start. When did your journey start and how did you/others around you come to terms with it?

This is an interesting question. Back when I was about 10 years old I remember being in primary school with my best mate. She and I were talking about people we have crushes on. It started when she said she had a crush in a boy in our class and my response was “same, he’s really cute.” At that point she turned to me and said “wait, so you’re gay?” I didn’t understand what they meant as I was never exposed to terms like that. I remember asking what that meant and she explained to me how liking boys when your a boy isn’t exactly ‘normal’. She then explained how okay it was though and how I should be proud. As a bit of an outcast child growing up, when I learned it would make me even more weird to people I told her not to tell anyone. The next day I came into school to someone else in my class screaming at me “KEEP THAT YOKE AWAY FROM ME HES A F SLUR”.

My friend apologised and I forgave her instantly but I remember how it put so much gravity into the situation I was in suddenly realising I was gay and that’s not a fan favorite thing, especially during this time. I remember convincing everyone it was a lie and going back to just being the quiet kid not the gay quiet kid. When I turned 12 I remember telling my mother during an episode of X Factor. She instantly called in my dad and asked me if I was sure which I responded yes and they were very excepting with their responses being “grand, that’s fine”. It was the first time I felt heard and accepted. As I grow up I stayed in the closet only telling close friends. I remember hanging around with the “popular” lad group and feeling so different but wanted to fit in. I eventually told them and they were very accepting funny enough.

When I eventually came out at 17 years old I remember everyone didn’t bat an eyelid for the most part. Of course I dealt with my fair share of homophobia but for the most part, I was accepted. One day I had a conversation with a VERY “popular” guy and he said we always knew you were gay. It made me feel so happy because during PE I’d of course get changed in the men’s locker room so knowing they didn’t ever have fear I’d stare at them made me feel amazing, because I didn’t and I wouldn’t. As I’ve gotten older though I have lost a lot of friends because I turned, what the people are “gay gay” and embraced my feminine energy that somewhat tends to come with gay people. However, this has not effected me because I’ve become quality or quantity when it comes to friendships. All in all I had my own person struggles with being gay but it seemed like the world didn’t care as much as I did and after I came out it slowly allowed me to explore and find my place in this world.

During this journey, you also experienced Club Penguin armies and the environment that it had. What was this like for you, personally? Was it something you had to overcome?

Honestly, I’ve used the Internet most of my life so I’ve always had an understanding of what it would be like and what it is. The CPA community, although having quite a few questionable people, especially during xat times, was an escape from reality for me. I could be as gay as I wanted and being hit with homophobia was never a real issue for me. There was a former ACP leader who I was great friends with discovering themselves and they were a great support for me as I was them. I found CPA has always been a place where I could share who I was in a way I couldn’t in real life. I also feel I’ve educated a lot of people and taught them more about being gay and how it doesn’t truly define me as a person, yet has an impact of my life in ways a lot of people would understand whether they’re gay, straight or anything else. I was out as gay in the CPA community before I even considered coming up to the people in my real everyday life.

Do you think the anonymity of CPA helped you to come out IRL? Did it change your approach/thoughts in any way?

Yes and no, growing up as someone with a lot of self-hatred and confusion, like many LGBTQ+ kids I dealt with a lot of mental health issues. For me to be able to come out was for me to battle them demons which took a lot of self-strength. In saying that, being in a community where people know you but don’t KNOW you felt like a chance to break free from the world that I felt hated me. Because of this, I felt empowered in my real life because I knew there was hope for me if I could deal with it online.

I also have become a really spiritual person in recent times, especially when my dad passed away and because of that blocking out hatred has become easier because I believe if you focus on positive energy the bad energy won’t seem as bad. In life, there’s good with bad and bad with good and no matter how much you try you’ll never get rid of the bad. It’s about rolling with the punches and continuing with the knowledge of knowing every bad thing must come to an end and every good thing will be a reason to live and fight another day. To sum it up really, my power came from me but with the guidance of the world around me, including CPA.

Growing up, did you have any inspirations or people who helped you to become who you are today?

Well, kind of. For the majority of my life I wasn’t exposed to the gay culture as we know it. I think that’s where a lot of the self hatred came from. I never had a chance to understand who I was as I, as I said, was surrounded by “popular” straight boys. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit and I was stuck inside due to personal health reasons that I discovered RuPauls Drag Race and honestly, it changed the direction of my life. The more I dove into the world of drag performance the more I learned what it meant to be gay. Now I am a flamboyant gay boy who’s learning to be a drag queen and has dressed up in drag a few times.

The people I used to be friends with are no longer in my life because I realised it wasn’t me and they weren’t what you’d consider a “real” friend. In saying that, although he was straight and a typical “keep it to yourself” straight boy, my dad helped me grow as well. As I discovered more about being gay he was there to help push me to keep learning and keep expressing myself. If I had to say who my hero is in life, it would be him. All the encouragement he gave me as he seen me finally begin to learn who I am and what I was put in this world for really kept me going. After he passed away in March it added fuel to the fire. I felt, and still feel, inspired to keep growing and keep learning as that’s what life is, learning and growing.

Do you have any advice for people who may be going through the same journey you have?

Sure! Don’t ever feel alone. You’re not. There may be times when you feel like you’ll never be accepted but that’s not true. Accept yourself for who you are as that’s the key. Screw what others think. There may be people out there who have families that don’t accept them and they can’t come out at the moment. That’s okay. It’s tough not being able to be your authentic self but trust me, your time will come when when it does, there is a whole new family waiting for you with open arms. You are worth it, you are accepted and you are you. Never forget the icon you are and never forget that you are not wrong, you are correct the way you are. Life is beautiful and once you pass the ugly part, you’ll soon start to see.

This goes for anyone whether you’re gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, non-binary or anything else, the most important person in your life is you. Once you realise how special you are, the rest will follow. Life is tough, especially nowadays but don’t let the negativity define you. There’s good with bad and bad with good and once you start to focus on the good, everything will make more sense. Whatever your struggle is, know there’s at least one person on your side, that being me. I’m rooting for you and truly believe there is a place in life for you.

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Thank you Zoomey for sharing your story today. It seems like there’s a lot more to Zoomey than what meets the eye. They have been through a lot but their journey is an inspirational one which, I’m sure, will inspire many.

We hope that this will give people a platform to share their own personal experiences which may help others or even yourself. Finding people with similar experiences as you is an amazing thing that not many are able to do. However, we hope that you will know that there is always someone who can understand your experiences.

Do YOU have a story that you’d like to share? Be sure to let us know!

Shamrock Bulletin Administrator and ACP 50th Commander in Chief

Coolguy

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