Helsinki Pride

Finnish LGBTI organization Seta gives its annual anti-award to Governor of St. Petersburg.

Seta ry 30.6.2012
Helsinki, Finland

Seta awarded today the governor of St. Petersburg, Gergiy Poltavchenko, with Seta´s annual anti-award called the “Rat of Honour”. Poltavchenko received the anti-award because he signed the notorious anti-LGBT law of St. Petersburg in March 2012. Seta´s awards were a part of Helsinki Pride, the biggest LGBT event in Finland.

Seta wants to raise awareness about the human rights situation of LGBTI people in areas close to Finland. The distance between Helsinki and St. Petersburg is four hundred kilometres only.

“Poltavchenko could have refused to sign the law. The law goes against the constitution of Russia as well as international human rights agreements and recommendations, such as the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers recommendation to member states to combat all discrimination against LGBT people. The situation in St. Petersburg is worrying especially as a similar development is spreading elsewhere in Russia” stated Outi Hannula, the chairperson of Seta, in her speech.

Seta has arranged protests and events and written letters to Russian and Finnish authorities against the censorship laws of St. Petersburg and other areas of Russia also before. In April, when governor Poltavchenko visited Helsinki, Seta organized a public demonstration together with Amnesty Finland.

Seta gives the “Rat of Honour” anti-award annually to a person or organisation that has expressed discriminatory opinions about LGBT people or has discriminated against them. In addition, Seta gives a positive award, the “Apple of Good Information”, to a person or organization that has promoted the human rights of LGBTI people. This year, the recipient of the Apple is the Gender equality ombudsman Pirkko Mäkinen who actively and strongly defends the human rights of trans and intersex persons.

Helsinki Pride is the biggest annual LGBTI event in Finland. It is held every year on the last week of June and is is with its over 10 000 visitors also one the biggest week-long events in Helsinki. It is organised by Helsingin seudun Seta ry, a non-profit LGBTI organisation in Helsinki, a member of the national umbrella organisation, Seta.

Helsinki Pride consists of parties, meetings and discussions, the highlight being the Pride Parade across the city centre on Saturday. The free expression of one´s sexual orientation and gender identity as well as the visibility of LGBTI subcultures are at the core of the festival agenda.

The challenge of Helsinki Pride is in bringing different kinds of people together to discuss and debate even on subjects sometimes considered touchy. There is not just one right way of being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer. Diversity, its promotion and strengthening is one of Helsinki Pride´s main goals.