#ask podge

Hi? I don't think we've met...why are you in Armando's code?

❄️

@eirasnowanon

You.

You better watch yourself, you malfunctioning defect of a poorly made desktop helper. Try to shut someone down again.

Watch what I’ll do to your code.

@fadedwithstars yayy one of the only people ever that Eve has immediately gone and threatened

OOC- THANK YOU I TRIED TO MAKE THEM COMPLEX EMOTIONALLY X]

ADJUSTING SECURITY MEASURES

INITIATING SECURITY MEASURE: WEED WHACKER

STABILIZING OPEN SECURITY MEASURES

PLEASE SCAN CREW MEMBER ID OR ENTER NAME OF ACTIVE OVERSEER OF PROJECT: HAIL MARY

HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

they/her/it im Podge!!! [full name Mod Podge :P] im just a humble desktop helper!!! and you can ask me anything!!! i uh...i can enter any system i want, its kinda cool but it weird even ME out too

well, most of my theory about the process of identity has to do with my personal experience and should not be taken as a serious guide. I myself am slowly learning more about myself and my own identity.

first, discovery. discovering the multiple ways to label your identity is a huge factor, especially today. as we live in a heteronormative world, the assumption that everyone is straight and cisgender in every aspect is a common injustice to the vibrant diversity every person represents. to understand that there are identities to even be used was, at one point, a shocking fact to me, and I’m not the only one in this situation. discovering there was a community was a look into a world where not everyone had to identify the same way all the time.

as a side note, this is also why accurate representation is so important for any and all identities. no wonder -phobe’s don’t want representation. it shows people there isn’t one, assigned from birth option! it gives people the opportunity to wonder and see what living with an identity is like.

second, contemplation. I hate to break it to the person out there who’s seriously wondering if they’re not straight or cisgender but straight and cisgendered people don’t really wonder that. from the perspective of a cisgendered person, never once have I contemplated being anything but a gal, as the identity had always felt right. romance and sexuality was obviously a different story, which is where I spent most of my time contemplating.

a lot of people are at this stage! and that’s okay! it’s a good stage to be at. personally, the biggest indicator that my assigned identity wasn’t right was when I talked to other people and realized that my experiences weren’t just different, the thought of not having those differences made me subtly uncomfortable. a nervous laugh in public, a week spent wondering if that was what people considered the normal for being straight.

third, trial period. trying out new identities and discovering what makes you happy is so important. don’t be afraid to change identities or specifics or even just use vague terms. personally this stage made me realize how much internalized amatonormativity I had, and I had to work through a lot ideals that were structured in my life. in the meantime, before the next stage, I tossed around several identities, trying my best to find what fit. I did tons of research, but that’s more of a personal thing.

the hardest part about this period, I believe, is working through fear. personally, there was so much internalized and external fear and shame that I was different, made very real when I began to try out identities before settling down on what described me accurately. the best part about this stage is that it doesn’t ever really end, because an identity can change if you find one that fits better.

fourth, acceptance. here, you accept who you are and begin to love yourself for it. you are now apart of that vibrantly diverse world that first allowed you to understand identity. even now, I find little things I have to learn to love about myself that have to do with my identity. here, you learn how to become comfortable with yourself.

for ME, the entirety of this journey was very internal, but please don’t ever be afraid to ask for help, like those with that identity currently, or just in the community, or anyone who you can trust. I wish I had asked more questions to help me understand my own thoughts and feelings.