Live, Laugh, Love: Mads

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Coolguy

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.

Mads is a well-known veteran within the Army of Club Penguin who is a Bronze Medal Award holder. Despite being retired, they play a big part within the army and work hard to help and support ACP at each and every turn. They first joined the army community way back in 2010, with ACP being their first-ever army. This wasn’t their last time in ACP, however, as they returned to the army in the CPPS era. During their time in ACP, they have held multiple ranks including General (3ic).

There is much more to Mads than their time in ACP, however, one thing they have openly shared is that they are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Their journey within the community has been important in their life, making them who they are today. With that being said, we interviewed Mads to learn more about their journey, experience and 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?

So, my journey began in high school. I tried to come out as bi but was told I didn’t like those girls, I just wanted to be like them. So back into the closet I went until my senior year of high school. I was outed by a close friend who was “worried” about me. It was the worst way to come out becasue I had been thinking about coming out to my family sometime soon but then the choice was forcefully taken away from me. Fortunately my family was somewhat supportive (we are still working on that).

My second year of college, I figured out that I didn’t fit into the traditional gender binary. I made the choice to chop my hair off and dye it purple, and began coming out to friends as non-binary while using “any pronouns.” After I was bullied online and called “it,” I switched to they/them pronouns. Just like high school, I was thinking about coming out to my parents during my third year of college but was then outed by a second cousin to my transphobic grandparents — she thought I was trans. After an emotional phone call with my mom who wanted to make sure I WASN’T trans, I told her that that cousin was “half right” and came out fully as non-binary and queer on my social media accounts. I was fed up with the questions and forced outings, so I said screw it and came out at the end of Pride Month 2021.

Today, I am fully out in my personal and professional life, and I couldn’t be happier. I faced a lot of adversity on my coming out journey, from being kicked out of my sorority due to my sexuality and gender to unsupportive family members. It was hard, but I am so proud of how far I have come. I can look back and recognise the lessons that were learned and the growth I made.

Was there anything that helped you overcome the transphobia/homophobia/prejudice against you? What advice would you give to others who are struggling to deal with this?

The support of friends, family, and therapy. Without them I might not have made it through. There were a lot of dark moments but their support was so helpful and ensured my success.

My advice to anyone struggling with this is to build a support network, both in real life and online. You need those moments of physical support and care just as much as an online friend checking in on you. Find your local queer community and connect with them, and don’t be afraid to reach out to elder queers for advice — most likely we’ve been through something similar. Also, remember that you’re not alone. Everyone’s journey may be different, but at its core it’s a journey of discovery and hope. Remember that you are amazing, loved, and supported not only by your friends but those connections you haven’t even made yet. Also, if someone cuts you out of their life due to your sexuality and/or gender identity, they weren’t worthwhile to keep in yours to begin with. Don’t waste time on folks who aren’t there to support your authentic self.

When you first started to create an online persona, were you open about who you were? Has armies helped you or others in any way or did you find it hard to be yourself?

So my online persona is very much… me. I joined club penguin private server armies in 2019 and I was open about my sexuality and gender, and armies helped me almost solidify my identity. Sure there were trolls here and there, but for the most part folks have been very accepting and do their best to use my correct pronouns. I found it easy to be myself because no one really knew me before I started to come out — I just introduced myself as Mads with they/them pronouns and that was that. I think for maybe a month I was going by my deadname and she/her, but it wasn’t long enough to really be an issue. If anyone deadnames me now, I correct them, they apologise and use the right name, and we move on. That’s what (ideally) happens in real life. Armies has helped me become accustomed to going by my preferred name because I wasn’t going by it fully openly in real life when I first started to come out. But once I came out completely, the transition was seamless. I also feel that I’ve been a support to others who are questioning their identities because I’m so open about it, which I am very thankful for.

Growing up, was there anyone who inspired you?

I was always inspired by strong female leaders. Condoleezza Rice, Malala Yousafzai, Lady Gaga, Emma Watson, Selena Gomez… these are just a few. When Hilary Clinton first ran for president in 2008, I proudly told my (conservative) family that I wanted her to win because she was a woman (I was 8 at the time). Something all of these women have in common is that they aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in. I still look up to these women (along with others now) and am inspired to continue to stand up for my beliefs and help change the world for the better, one small step at a time.

What does the future hold for Mads?

Right now I have a job that I love in a beautiful location, albeit very cold. My next step is to rebuild my queer community — I had a great group of friends and chosen family that I’m now two states away from, and while I’m able to visit as often as I want, it’s tough not having friends I can call up and go do something random with at the drop of a hat. I’ve started to build community, but it’s tough — trying to figure out who I want to spend time with versus who may not be the best fit for me. I have friends here, but I’m really missing having fellow queer friends. Once I have that done, I hope to be able to find time to un-retire and rejoin ACP. My ultimate goal is to become leader, and I know I can do that once I get my personal/IRL life in order. I was HCOM once, who’s to say I can’t do it again! I also really want to start reading again, been burnt out on that since graduating college lol. Improving my horseback riding skills is also on the list, along with training Zeus some more and getting back into yoga!

Thank you Mads for sharing your story with us and letting us take up some of your time. The story that Mads has shared is truly personal for them and one that can inspire many people whether they can relate or not. Being who you truly are is not always as easy as it seems but Mads has been able to do this through the good and bad.

We hope that this will give people a platform to share their own personal experiences. These stories may help others or even YOU. 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 out there who can understand and relate to you and 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