What is the LGBTQIA+ Helsinki made of?
It’s made of people and dedication to diversity. It’s made of love and human rights. It’s made of sea breeze, and islands, winter time swimming, romantic getaways and parties, festivals for every taste. It’s made of paddling in silence and gliding on the ice.
It’s made of saunas, libraries, art and the white summer nights. It’s made of community and pride – Helsinki Pride! – and a fantastic scene of gay bars and clubs.
It’s made of queer history and fight for equality, present in the footsteps of Helsinkian artists like Tom of Finland and Tove Jansson. It’s made of the work of Helsinkians, like former President Tarja Halonen (known for her activism in the national LGBTQIA+ organisation) or former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, the first openly gay Presidential candidate in Finland.
In a nutshell, it’s made of freedom, your freedom to be you.
Helsinki’s LGBTQ+ scene is active and open to all.
From coffee shops to clubs, from sports to handicrafts and from activism to alternative drag scene, the capital of Finland has lot to offer.
Here all belong
Helsinki is for everyone, and everyone is Helsinki. In Helsinki, freedom means creating a life that looks like you without compromising. Everyone has the right to be themselves in Helsinki, to love who they want and to work without fear of discrimination.
