Kangasniemi Pride, a miniature gay pride parade in the sleepy Savo town of the same name, made history today in spite of rainy conditions. A group of some 300 people marched in high spirits around the small city centre in the name of human rights. The original estimate of the amount of attendees was a mere 120 people, which nearly tripled.
People arrived to the walk from far and wide, including the cities of Kokkola, Turku and Espoo. Lahti resident Laura Heikinheimo opted for Kangasniemi's event over Helsinki Pride, the nation's largest gender equality parade.
"I noticed the event on social media and I thought that this is definitely something worth championing," she says.
For Heikinheimo pride parades represent solidarity and equality. The march in Kangasniemi went off without a hitch – no one turned up to protest it.
"This was a really positive experience, everyone had a great time. Many on the sidelines looked on in wonderment but the atmosphere was very permissive, and that felt good," Heikinheimo says.
More in store for Kangasniemi Pride
The mini-Pride was organised by Kangasniemi local, sexual educator and politician Tarja Pölkki who returned to her home town a year ago. When she announced her plans to organise the parade, many asked her why a straight woman would go to such lengths to put together a gay rights event in the little town.
"Why not?" she replied. "I went to be myself and the whole concept revolves around sexual education anyway. Research shows that one in ten Finns represent a sexual minority, and in a small place like this many may feel alone with their identity. I hope this will raise awareness and give people confidence and hope."
Due to Helsinki Pride being organised on the same day, many South Savo residents had to decide between two similar events this year. Pölkki says that the simultaneity was no accident. She says now, despite her original 100-odd estimate, that the capital's parade helped rein in the Kangasniemi version from erupting into a thousands-strong throng.
With a nice quiet start to this first ever local parade, Pölkki says that next year they can take it up a notch.
"Next year we'll avoid having it on the same day as Helsinki Pride, that's a given. But I want to keep this relatively small, so that more people in the region could still find attending inviting."