Helsinki hosts LGBTQ+ resident evening on September 8

The City of Helsinki will hold its first-ever evening for LGBTQ+ residents in the City Hall event space on 8 September, said the city in a press release.

People are invited to attend the event to be held from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM in person in the event space or virtually through Helsinki-kanava.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the number of participants has been limited to 40, and seats will be filled in order of registration.

The first-ever LGBTQ+ resident evening will be held during Helsinki Pride Week.

Mayor Jan Vapaavuori, Deputy Mayor for Social Services and Healthcare Sanna Vesikansa, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Leisure Nasima Razmyar, Deputy Mayor for Education Pia Pakarinen, and Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment Anni Sinnemäki will attend the event, among others.

The event will be hosted by Kelet Ali, a Finnish ballroom queen and the title character of the biographical documentary Kelet.

“The evening for LGBTQ+ residents is one of the city’s many concrete actions to promote comprehensive equality and non-discrimination. The city is committed to ensure in its operations the human rights of all residents and to determinedly address any discrimination. All residents of Helsinki must feel that Helsinki is their city and the evening for LGBTQ+ residents is a new initiative to achieve this goal,” said the mayor.

“The City of Helsinki determinedly promotes equality and non-discrimination. We want to be a trailblazer in the prevention of discrimination, both nationally and internationally. We also encourage other cities to arrange LGBTQ+ resident evenings to allow their residents who are members of sexual and gender minorities to share their views on the quality of services”, Vapaavuori added.