KLONDIKE, Club Penguin Headquarters – I recently sat down with one of the community’s most famous faces to discuss his journey as an LGBTQ+ person.

Creator of the Ice Warriors, Iceyfeet1234, has been an active member of our community for 15 years – celebrating the Warriors’ Crustal Anniversary just last week. Although historically he hasn’t been vocal about his sexuality and identity in the public sphere, he does identify as an LGBTQ+ person. I managed to sit down with him for an in-depth interview over the weekend to talk all things LGBTQ+, pride month, and life lessons.

Hey Iceyfeet! Thanks for speaking with me today and for supporting this Pride Month project. Can I start by asking you how/if you identify and what your story is?

I myself identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Over the years, I have grown up with close friends that have been a part of the community, and I am happy to see how the world is changing in a more positive way for all of us as members of the community – especially when looking back 10+ years ago when we were at a much younger age.

I feel as though having support from friends and family has helped so many people open up about their identities. At first, it might seem difficult and you might feel as though you’re alone, but you would be surprised how many people support the community as a whole, and how much happier and free you’ll be when your story is told.

You created the Ice Warriors way back in 2007 and have been involved in the army community throughout the years since then. How do you think the prevalence and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in our army community has developed over the years?

I would say it is definitely more accepting now than it was in the past. I believe things started to change in the early 2010s, but it was a very slow change. As we approached the mid-2010s things got a bit better. I would say these past few years compared to back then are definitely more positive and more accepting, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was “bad” back then, it just wasn’t as open when comparing it to right now, especially when you consider that was going back 10+ years ago.

I would say for me the army community didn’t really affect my sexuality over the years, but over time I was definitely more open about the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. For me personally, just the past 3-4 years alone have been a much more positive and happier period in my life.

Growing up, were there any LGBTQ+ individuals that inspired and influenced you in a positive way?

The people that inspired me the most growing up were my close friends. I’m trying to think of famous people that might’ve inspired me too lol, but I feel as though it was my close friends that really had the biggest impact throughout my life!

What advice do you have for younger members of our community who are reading your words now and struggling with their sexuality and/or identity?

I would say wait until you think the time is right and when you feel comfortable. Everyone’s situation is different and some people might not have as much support as others. Try to talk to close friends and family that you trust the most and that you know will help and support you when you are ready.

My absolute biggest takeaway though (and this is coming from the old fart that I am!!) is that you have to remember that all of us only have one life to live. You shouldn’t worry about what others think about the way YOU want to live YOUR life. You should enjoy it the way you want to because it’s literally your own life to live, not theirs.

We are co-hosting the upcoming Community Pride Parade on June 18th! How excited are you for the event? And why do you think it’s important we host these in our small online community?

I am very excited! Community pride events like this are extremely important, even in the smallest of communities. They help show the unity and pride that our entire community possesses (even when a lot of the time we’re out fighting battles/tournaments against each other!).

The community pride events are a great way for all members and armies of the community to come together and show our support for the LGBTQ+ community, and I do hope these types of events inspire troops and have a positive impact on their future!

A huge thank you to Iceyfeet for speaking with me, and for being so generous with his answers. It’s inspiring to hear from such a well-known personality within the community and for them to speak so openly about their own journey.

There are just a few weeks to go until we co-host the Community Pride Parade 2022, and the behind-the-scenes plans are coming together very nicely. If you haven’t already, note down the date and time: Saturday, June 18th at 3:00 pm EST. We’re both hugely looking forward to seeing you then.

More Information