Community

Social events, entertainment, bars, festivals, cafes, bookstores, etc.

Bear Park Cafe (Karhupuisto) - gay friendly coffee shop in Bear Park
DTM (Helsinki) - modern LGBTQ club/bar located in the City Center. Club Kids come here often.
Fairy Tale (Helsinki) - bar/club in Helsinki
Hercules (Helsinki) - modern LGBTQ club with a slightly older crowd located in the City Center
Homeoinvasio- Facebook group where they name a random typical non-gay bar to invade once a month
Helsinki Pride (be sure to picnic in Kaivopuisto after the Pride parade!)
Drag scene in Helsinki is large and growing - LOTS of RuPaul contestants visit Helsinki
A version of a gay sauna also exists in Kamppi and Vallila

Political/Social Environment

Resources assessing queer- and trans-friendliness in your country

“Finland is generally queer- and trans-friendly; however, far-right and ethno-nationalist groups do have a presence around the country and hold public demonstrations (usually targeted towards immigrants).” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)

Laws that are accepting or discriminatory and legal resources specifically for LGBTQ persons

“Same-sex relationships/marriage is legal, discrimination on the basis of sexuality, gender, and gender expression is illegal.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)
“There is still a forced sterilization law for trans people in place. There is, however, a movement to get this law overturned.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)

Antti Korpi - student housing with a mixture of Erasmus students from a variety of countries. Relatively cheap for the Helsinki region.
Facebook groups, like HOAS

Medical resources for LGBTQ persons in your community (special clinics, testing, treatment, pharmacies, etc.)

Once-a-month HIV Checkpoints for gays in Helsinki
- “Getting tested is easy as there are several clinics that admit people. It isn’t intimidating as you just grab a number, fill out a form, and it will be done.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)

Podcasts, literature, movies, music, etc.

Saara Aalto - X Factor UK runner up, Dancing on Ice finalist, and Eurovision star

How to include trans/gender-nonbinary people in conversations in your country’s language(s)

“The Finnish language has only gender neutral pronouns and no grammatical gender. Some words still include gendered endings (mostly professions), but there are not many and are not terribly common.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)