Two gay nights were organized: in 1996 and 2010.
In the photo, the current commissioner for equality, Rainer Hiltunen. OUTI LAKE
Yle’s historic Gay Nights were organized in 1996 and 2010. They are remembered in a new documentary series that deals with the history of Finnish sexual and gender minorities. Finland is queer has been released today in its entirety In the arena.
– The media discussion about the rights of rainbow people has largely taken place through confrontation, Henny Harjusola, who hosts the second episode, says in the program and names the gay nights as classic examples.
In 1996, the debate was officially named For the Gayliitto evening of the topical Kakkonen. Among others, the current Commissioner for Equality participated in it Rainer Hiltunen, who served as Seta’s first general secretary from 1996 to 2002. Hiltunen recalls the experience on TV as a great opportunity to talk to Finns and talk about homosexuality. There are other memories.
– It was also a time when offensive statements were made in the conversation and our existence was questioned. There are mixed feelings about it.
Late Mäntylä, the priest of LHBTIQA+ people, points out in the series that Päivi Räsänen united Homoilto. – Päivi Räsänen’s stories were exactly the same, even though it was 14 years apart. SAMPO KORHONEN
The program was filmed in Tampere. The journey home to Helsinki was made by minibus.
– It lasted three hours. It was very unnerving for me to be on a small bus with those people who had personally insulted me by basically denying my existence on the broadcast. That stuck with me.
Still, even after 27 years, the memory haunts me.
– I wouldn’t want to experience that bus trip again. In fact, that shipment was reasonably easy in comparison.
Finland is queer today in Areena. See all TV programs and broadcast times in Telku’s TV guide.