PEOPLE OF BEHAVIOUR
Joelle Bouhnik, Vanessa Vanier and Nathaniel Villanueva on Pride
June is International Pride Month and Dead by Daylight is celebrating it with a new range of LGBTQ+ emotes representing the values of Pride, Empathy and Hope on its Discord server and BetterTTV channel.
We invited Behaviour employees Joelle Bouhnik, Vanessa Vanier and Nathaniel Villanueva to reflect on the importance of these three values and what Behaviour’s support for the LGBTQ+ community means to them.
Joelle Bouhnik
Position: Brand Manager
Team: Marketing
“Tolerance, understanding, empathy and respect are values that mean a lot to me as a human being but also as a member of the LGBTQ community.
Those are the rules I try to follow in my professional and personal life. It is not always an easy go as life is filled with unexpected events and encounters, but it takes all the courage you’ve got to be true to your beliefs.
We’ve come a long road but the fight for equality never ends. Pride Month is an occasion to stand strong for those values promoting social progress.
I am very proud to be part of company that takes part in supporting Pride celebrations.”
Vanessa Vanier
Position: Capture Artist
Team: Marketing
“Sometimes people ask ‘Why is it important for studios to celebrate Pride?’ and there’s one word that comes to my mind: Inclusivity.
As someone who grew up in a very open family with lots of queer members, it made a big difference in my life. Seeing everyone shine with so much pride made it much easier for me to find my place in the world and feel included.
But not everyone has this chance.
Not everyone grows up to feel like they can be their true self all day, every day.
And that is why I feel like it is important for studios like BHVR to be advocate for these people. To celebrate and tell them: “We see you and we’re proud of you!”
Video games communities can be like a second family for a lot of people and seeing someone who you look up to being proud of you can make a world of difference.
Pride, Empathy, and Hope are essential to make the world a better place, and in time like these we really need all of it!”
Nathaniel Villanueva
Position: Development tester – QA
Team: Dead by Daylight
“Pride month is a month to celebrate diversity, multiculturalism, all genders, all sexual orientations and all skin colours of the rainbow spectrum and it is extremely important that we highlight the values of Pride, Empathy and Hope whenever we have a space and a place to do that.
For me, Pride is about embracing everything we are inside and out, every colour and every shade of the rainbow spectrum – including the color of our skin – with love, with care and with kindness.
I am proud to be an immigrant, mixed ethnicity, homosexual, full spectrum of the rainbow man who understands and recognizes that racism is still very much present both inside and outside our very own community. Pride is about standing up for those who can’t, fighting for those who can’t and protecting those who can’t protect themselves while at the same time making sure we teach, encourage and maintain the rights and freedoms of everyone regardless of the colour of our skin, gender or sexual preference.
Empathy is about understanding and helping others and remembering that we must speak up for those who still live in fear of being who they are every time we have the privilege to speak up and be free to do so. Empathy is about giving a voice to those who don’t have one or have been denied one because of the colour of their skin, gender or sexual preference.
And finally Hope, that every day everything we do – in our own actions, inside our homes with our families and children, with our friends and our coworkers and with society – speaks of freedom, equality, understanding and kindness.
Certainly, knowing Behaviour Interactive and Dead by Daylight not only have my back but encourage Pride and facilitate the space for me and many others to be who we are makes me feel incredibly lucky and grateful to call this place home.”
