PEOPLE OF BEHAVIOUR
Pride
What does Pride Month mean to you?
Nicolas Barrière-Kucharski, Game designer, Il/Lui/He/Him

Pride for me is very much synonymous with potential. The almost unlimited capacity of our community to recognize, love and organize together for our happiness and our collective rights. That through the struggle started and handed off to us by our queer elders, we still have the chance today to live fully and continue to reinvent ourselves. It is at the same time a gift, a privilege and a duty to be able to learn new ways of living and loving each other as human beings, just as varied as we are.
Benoit Devienne, Programmer, Il/Lui/He/Him

Being asexual, it’s hard for me to identify with members of the LGBTQIA2+ community, but I understand why this month is important. I do think it is essential to educate people about gender diversity, sexualities and gender identifications. I also think it’s good that minds are starting to open up to other possibilities than the classic idea of family. I would also like to see this kind of thing stop because I don’t want to be identified as different because I have little or no attraction. No matter who you are or how you identify, you are like me, a human being.
Mélissa Bisaillon-Germain, QA Tester, Elle/She/Her/They/Them

For me, Pride Month is not only a time to allow ourselves to be sincere and to show ourselves to the world as we are, but it is also a time to remember all those who came before us and who allowed us to be able to walk with our heads held high and be happy with who we are today. Of course, there is still a lot at stake, but to see so many people come together and say “I deserve to be myself without fear or judgment,” is something incredibly beautiful and allows so many people to realize that they are not alone. Living authentically isn’t always easy, but seeing all those people who share our experiences and are willing to walk alongside us is an irreplaceable feeling for which I am incredibly grateful.
Antoine Bouchard-Côtes, Sound designer, Il/Lui/He/Him

Pride is definitely a reason to celebrate and be proud of who you are, but it’s also a time to reflect and highlight history and all the work that has been done so far and what remains to be done. Year after year, communities struggle, and we need to highlight this constant evolution more than ever. Be proud, be different and above all, blow up the fireworks!
Nikita Ratuski, Programmer, Elle/She/Her

Pride month is about several things for me! Visibility for those of us on the margins (~0.24% of Canadians are trans!) is important. Pride is also a chance for everyone to get involved, regardless of whether they identify as LGBTQIA2+ or not. Pride isn’t meant to be a fringe event just for specific individuals, in my mind. It’s a celebration of diversity and a chance for everyone to come together in solidarity. Progress isn’t a one-and-done kind of thing. Substantive progress requires constant vigilance and support from everybody, now more than ever!
Lauren Jewel Salonin, Video team lead, Elle/She/Her

For me, pride month is always a time to celebrate just being your authentic self! This year in particular, my longtime partner and I are getting married during Pride Month, so it also means celebrating our love and relationship.
Mae Morisson, Influencer manager, Elle/She/Her

Pride month is important to me because it’s about honouring the people who fought and risked everything to give us what we have now. It’s about Stonewall, Paris is Burning, Marsha P. Johnson, James Baldwin (reading Notes on a Native Son in my teens was very formative) and so many others . It’s about giving back to said communities with charity drives, volunteering, educating. I honour my own heritage as a Métis woman but there’s a shared heritage with the Queer community as well and it’s important to learn your history and keep fighting. We have many trans, BIPOC and other marginalized siblings that are counting on us. It’s a time for us to celebrate everything we’ve done, reflect on the people we’ve lost, and band together to keep moving forward. And dance our butts off, tip Drag Queens/performers plus cover ourselves in sparkles and rainbows.
Wade Alexis, QA Tester, They/Them

To me Pride is a general celebration of a milestone achieved from relentless efforts from the community. A community that wants to be heard and accepted. Because it is part of our identities, Pride isn’t just a month – it’s our everyday life.
Morgane Toulemonde, Community manager, Elle/She/Her

For me, Pride Month is about respect, openness to others, love and education. This is the time for everyone to assert themselves and establish dialogue. We are all different and that’s also what makes our world beautiful. It is also a time to take stock of our history, the struggles that have been waged to get us to this point and continue our path to reach a threshold of equality. We are not invisible, we exist and Pride Month is the perfect time to assert yourself or take the first step to join our community! It is above all a celebration of love, the love of being able to love whoever we want.
Catherine Kinsbergen, QA Team Lead, Elle/She/Her

Pride represents the victory of all those who fought against injustice, who opposed stigmatized beliefs and who resisted a society that refused to perceive their authenticity. It is a celebration of the work of activists such as Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Michelle D. Douglas and many others. It is to celebrate ourselves among ourselves and to have the chance to be ourselves without having to censor ourselves. It is also an opportunity to share our happiness and shout loud and clear that we are here to stay. We are fortunate to live in an era where we praise acceptance and difference. Pride is felt more and more every year and we write today the story of tomorrow.
Florence Lavoie-Côté, QA Team Lead, Elle/She/Her/They/Them

While Pride should be celebrated all year, Pride Month is a time for us to remind the world of who we are and what we stand for: diversity, freedom, fairness and love. It’s a time to celebrate our existence and remember how far we’ve come to get to this point.