Seta, a major national organisation for LGBTI Rights in Finland, hosted a series of IDAHOT events in several different cities across the country. Highlights included demonstrations, picnics, street art, a candle light vigil and a house warming party. Cities with IDAHOT 2014 actions included Helsinki, Joensuu, Tampere, Lahti and Turku.

Helsinki

LGBTI Rights in Finland, Seta, Amnesty Finland, No Hate Speech Movement and other organisations hosted an information booth where people were invited to sign solidarity cards for Belgrade Pride (where authorities have previously banned parades before, most recently in 2013). People also wrote messages against Hate Speech and for Freedom of Expression for LGBTI people at the tent, where pictures were also taken.

IDAHOT event in Helsinki. Source: IDAHOT Finland

Joensuu

HOHTO, the regional Seta member organisation, hosted a whole ‘rainbow week’ of activities around IDAHOT, which started on May 8th. Actions included a rainbow mass, info desk, book club meeting, the Hohto parade, parties, free hugs action, a discussion on the political aspect of love and a Youth group get-together. On May 17, there was a silent demonstration in the city centre against hate and discrimination, and a picnic at Ilosaari. You can find more details of the week on their Facebook page.

Hohto’s promo material for IDAHOT 2014

Photos from silent protest against hate and discrimination. Source: Hohto

Lahti

In commemoration of IDAHOT 2014, activists organised a knitted rainbow graffiti installation at Pikku-Vesijärvi park. The event also included street art activities for LGBTI young people, near the central bus station. A picnic was also held to commemorate the Day at Pikku-Vesijärvi.

Tampere

In Tampere, the local organisation Pirkanmaan Seta held a memorial & candle light vigil for victims of homophobia and transphobia on May 17 at Keskustori. You can find more information on the event’s Facebook page.

Candle Light Vigil In Tampere. Source: Pirkanmaan Seta

Turku

In Turku, local community groups organised a dance flashmob on the Market Square, as well as film screenings, and a house warming party at the regional Seta office on May 17. You can find out more about the regional Seta group on their website.

Further information

Find more Information about the organisation Seta on their website and Facebook page.
They have also made a small video at the event in Helsinki which you can watch here.

Online banner for the 1907 campaign. Source.

A number of videos were released for the Day, including these:

This video was also released, in relation to 1705, on May 18:

Danny Hall, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki is shared his thoughts about the day in a video address:

The following is the full programme of nationwide events (original in Finnish which is available here):

Helsinki

Rainbow Communities Association and the dtm Gay Bar & Nightclub is organized as an international gay and transfobian Awareness Day 17 May 1705-the feast. Showtime at 23:00.

The nation is a rainbow in the letter. Abbreviation HLBTIQ (HomoLesboBiTransInterQueer) holds a wide range and feel that the letter number will only grow. 1705-a celebration theme, “Everyone has the right to have your own letters in” invites you all to celebrate their own letter.

1705, to commemorate the occasion Rainbow’s diversity, donated money for the new Rainbow People’s Support Service, Homoinfolle, and appointed a new anti-homophobia work a goodwill ambassador for the year 2013.

Feast program hosted by Jutta Pinkkinen and entertain the audience Fe’Fellas awesome dance!

1705, the opportunity to partner is the SETA and the opportunity to support HIV support center for men between the work safely.

The program:

Against Homophobia work appointment of an envoy of goodwill for the year 2013
Ranneliike.net-Party at the collection of the sum of the transfer Pirkanmaa region Setalle
The dance occurs Fe’Fellas
The program dates back to Jutta Pinkkinen

Entrance fee: EUR 6.
K-18

Photo Competition
International Day Against Homophobia (17.5.) In honor of the medical students’ association FiMSIC (Finnish Medical Students International Committee) and the Rainbow Communities Association will organize the competition for the best photo on the theme “HLBTIQ – Everyone has the right to have your own letters in” related to the image. The theme relates to Helsinki 17.5. 21-04 dtm Gay Bar & Night Club, organized in 1705, to celebrate.

You can participate by putting up the text with or without a picture of the 1705 event facebook wall (www.facebook.com/1705.IDAHO).

Winner will be announced 17.5. and it has been selected by the FiMSIC’s national sexual health officer Niko Nousiainen and the Rainbow The Chairman Mikko Kivinen.

The competition ends on 17.5. the winner / winners Declaration. Feel free to participate in the identification and dissemination of the same information about the competition and at the same time the International Day Against Homophobia.

The rapture idea is to reduce homophobia in Finland and disseminate information on International Day Against Homophobia.

Turku

IDAHOT-day event in Turku and the Turku region:

Gay: Yesterday’s decapitated Outlaw – tomorrow’s a full citizen?

Turku Region Seta organize and reflect on their past and future event at the 2013 gay and transfobian day against 17.05. This day, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), the purpose is to identify and extract the gay and transfobisia structures of society and culture around the world. Turku region this year, we want to remember the past, evaluate the present moment, and look to the future.

We want to remind what kind of atrocities in love, and sexuality can lead to rationing. The event is based on the Finnish gay history, a sad beginning and the sky two Heikki Salo, Finland in the first known gay fate. They were sentenced to death, “sodomiittisen sin” and burned at the stake because of Taivassalo tears on a cliff in 1665. Two-Heikki’s cruel fate Taivassalo tears to shed light on the cultural history of the rock PhD researcher Tom link. In today’s regulation-time event speaks of Turku Seta Vice-President of Kirsi Mikkonen. Come to witness the past and to assess the future: if the ends with the love between the regulation of abandoned?

A shuttle bus leaves the rock of tears Friday 17.05. at 17:05 Humalistonkatu, Tusetan office split (stop 150), opposite a (station 145). Sign up for shuttle bus service by sending an email to tuseta@tuseta.fi or call the office opening hours, phone number 045 132 4877. The trip is free to members. The event will begin at the cliff of Tears 18 On the way back departing from the cafe Heikki Karin Ranthuoneella. Back to Turku, we are at about 21

You can also come in their own pools. Turku, 8-way towards Pori about 8 km, of which Kustavin road. It is about 43 km Sky Saloon, which turn towards New Town. It is about 7 km and turn left at (beach) road. About 5 km away from the road on the right is the rock of tears.

Tampere

17.05 celebrated Werstas Gay and transfobianvastaista day at 16.30? 18.00 from the Workers’ Museum Werstas, Linna’s Square, 8, 2 floor lobby.

Come and sign the Citizens’ Initiative of equal marriage law on behalf of.

Tell your video short, positive greeting, which you want to promote equality regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. Greetings assembled compilation of youtube for publication.

Minna Minkkinen City Council is responsible for equality issues. Included are going to Tampere Seta and Tahdon2013 activists

At 22 extensions start a restaurant Mixei, which is the EU’s northernmost Rainbow Restaurant

NOTE: Werstas gaiety and Prejudice exhibition opens at 12.06.

Joensuu

Joensuu sexual equality Hobiles Association will organize the 13th – 05.18.2013 the order of the ninth Glow-rainbow event. Glow-Friday 17.5. celebrated the International Day against Homophobia.

Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä Seta peer-group meet common to picnic on the lawn Kirkkopuisto 17.5. from 18 onwards. Bongaat us to the speech processor pin. All Day theme enthusiastic and medium-size Finnish rainbow nation are welcome! Take some snacks by & join us!

For more information please see (all in Finnish):

• The 1705 Campaign: http://www.1705.fi/vuosi2013
• Raneliike.net: http://ranneliike.net/teema/175-on-kansainvalinen-homofobian-vastainen-paiva?aid=9819
• The Voice: Tänään on kansainvälinen homofobian vastainen päivä
• Finnish AIDS council: http://www.hivtukikeskus.fi/hyvaa-kansainvalista-homofobian-vastaista-paivaa-17-5/

The theme was LGBT human rights in Europe in general, based on the Rainbow Europe Map and Index published by ILGA-Europe on the previous day, and especially the impact of the new anti-lgbt legislation on the LGBT community in St Petersburg. In a speech about LGBT issues in Finnish foreign policy, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said that support for LGBT people’s human rights was an integral part of his ministry’s work. One of the speakers was Anna Anisimova, an activist from the LGBT organization ComingOut in St. Petersburg.

May 17 activities culminated in a Rainbow flash mob event at the Three Smiths statue in downtown Helsinki, where balloons with anti-homo/transphobic messages were released.