Annu Kemppainen, the Executive Director of the Helsinki Pride community, states that "Helsinki has always represented to me freedom and the opportunity to experience diversity, as well as the opportunity to blend in with the crowd at the same time." Helsinki Pride Week is the biggest cultural and human rights event in Finland, taking place from 26 June to 2 July. Everyone is invited to participate in the Helsinki Pride parade and park celebrations on 1 July. The City of Helsinki has been the main cooperation partner for Helsinki Pride for years, demonstrating Helsinki's leadership in valuing human rights.
In addition to the pride celebrations, Helsinki offers a vibrant LGBTQI+ scene. Visitors can enjoy the reopening of the legendary DTM gay club in a new location, as well as explore the city's cultural experiences, top restaurants, and lively nightlife. Visitors can also discover the city's history of the rainbow community at the new Amos Anderssons Hem home museum and the Tom of Finland exhibition at Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Tom of Finland, born Touko Valio Laaksonen, ranks among the most internationally acclaimed artists to come out of Finland. His drawings of happy gay men proudly enjoying their sexuality were revolutionary at a time when homosexuality was still considered a crime and fetishism classified as a disease. His art has been liberating and empowering for countless gay men and sexual minorities for decades. Tove Jansson, painter and the mother of the Moomins, is another icon of the Finnish LGBTQI+ scene. Her love for theatre director Vivica Bandler was already visible in her artwork in the 1940s.
Helsinki's Generation 2023 exhibition at Amos Rex showcases works from young artists between the ages of 15 and 23, who raise socially important issues in public discussion, including norms related to gender identity and appearance.
Helsinki is a hidden gem tourist destination among the rainbow community. It's a city where human rights are realized, and everyone is welcome. With its stunning archipelago and nature, Helsinki offers a unique combination of urban buzz and peace. To learn more about Helsinki's offerings and meet local guides to LGBTQI+ Helsinki, visit MyHelsinki.fi.
