It is one of those hidden secrets in the world you don’t know about, but you should definitely not want to miss it. The Helsinki Pride was one of the highlights of our week in the Finnish capital. Recently, Finland has been elected to be the world’s most socially progressive country, as it is also legalized gay marriage officially in spring 2017.Īll about Helsinki City Trip > Gay Pride Helsinki LGBTQ Festival Parade Kept as a secret, the citizens of Helsinki are more than proud to live in their wonderful city closely connected to nature. Gay Pride Helsinki LGBTQ Festival Parade 2016: thank you for being as diverse and colorful as we all are. Once again we felt pride coming up, pride to be where we are, what we achieved, and being proud to stand together for the long way we still have to go, thinking of Orlando and all the 70+ countries in the world where homosexuality is still a reason to punish and even kill people. Remembering all the silenced and killed LGBTQIA worldwide, activists and supporters called for attention by demonstrating with megaphones, dances, and screaming self-made posters or by simply being silent, marching forward holding signs with the faces of people who are no longer here to walk for themselves. Happy Pride, Helsinki! © Walking through the city center of Helsinki © Finnish sailor men at Helsinki Pride © © Marching “hand-in-hand” for those who can’tĪdditional to the happy celebrating crowd, some more thoughtful and reminding groups were part of the parade. Walking hand in hand through the Finnish capital side by side with LGBTQ-out individuals made us proud, losing our fear of all the homophobic forces in the world.
Equipped with self-made posters, flags and dressed in every beautiful way possible, the more than 30,000 people were the true part of Helsinki Pride.
Proud to be gay, proud to be out, and proud to show the world that we are an important part of a colorful and wide society. Helsinki Pride felt more like a diverse demonstration remembering us at the beginning of our own, first Pride Parades. The Pride Parade in Tel Aviv was a fundamentally different experience, being (next to a handful of powerful demonstrating support groups) sexier and with a huge party feeling with uncountable handsome and hot gay men from all over the world. © No fear during Helsinki Pride Parade 2016 Thousands of rainbow-colored members of the LGBTQ+ community © With great summer weather, the conditions for the pride parade couldn’t have been better © Karl is ready to go! Happy Pride Helsinki! © Video of the Helsinki Pride beginning The parliament voted clearly for equality and legalized same-sex marriage in Finland. Since March 2017, Gay couples are legally allowed to get married all over Finland. So many colors and dressed people as LGBTQ individuals demonstrating for their purpose but all together for more equality, human rights, and peaceful life, not only but also in Europe. Welcome to colorful and diverse Helsinki Pride © Getting ready to walk the pride demonstration in Helsinki ©
And the people have been simply wonderful, heartwarming friendly, and gorgeous. Everywhere in the city of Helsinki were hanging posters with commercials for Pride week and EuroGames 2016 while radio stations and newspapers publishing the detailed schedule for the Helsinki Pride Program at the EuroGames Village at Kansalaistori. Not only because, throughout the whole city, rainbow flags waving in the Nordic wind from almost every building in town. Helsinki during the Helsinki Pride week was just colorful. Why? In a very warm-hearted and colorful way, the Gay Pride Helsinki LGBTQ Festival Parade 2016 was one of the most diverse and authentic gay parades we ever walked. The same weekend of Madrid and Cologne Pride, this secret gem of Helsinki Gay Pride was a great surprise for us as a gay couple traveling the world. More than 30,000 colorful dressed and motivated (not only LGBTQ) people from all over the world were demonstrating with self-made posters, rainbow flags, dancing performances, and their voice for more equality, peace, and recognition in society worldwide. Gathering of the rainbow-colored crowd for Helsinki LGBTQ Pride ©