The Pride Parade took place in Helsinki

This past Saturday, June 28, the Pride Parade took place in Helsinki. According to organizers and police estimates, around 100,000 people participated in the march. Representatives of Initiative FoReDi joined the Queer Asylum: Finland and Tema ry block — their powerful and colorful performance can be seen in the photos!

Unfortunately, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) still considers Russia a “safe” country for queer people in certain individual cases. As a result, some asylum seekers receive decisions that put their lives at risk: they face deportation to Russia, where state repression and homophobic violence are only increasing. Just glance at the news to see how dangerous today’s Russia has become for the LGBTQ+ community and for anyone who dares to think differently.The QA:FI performance aimed to draw attention to this threat within Finnish society.

And as we reflect on Pride 2025, one thing is clear: it is more important than ever to defend our rights and show solidarity with those still fighting for theirs. Every day, we see how centuries of progress toward freedom and equality are being rolled back — pushing societies from the modern age into the dark past.That is why we must take to the streets, speak out loudly, and defend our right to be ourselves and live with dignity.

And if you think your rights are not being violated — look around. Stand up for your friends, loved ones, colleagues. Don’t stay silent. As one of the parade banners said:

“No one is free until everyone is free.”

See you next year — we hope there will be even more of us! 🔥❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️