Tag Archives: Finland

Finland’s postal service reports that sales of its Tom Of Finland stamps are breaking all their records. Via Gay Star News: Stamps commemorating Finnish gay erotic artist Touko Laaksonen, who published his drawings under the name Tom of Finland, have been the biggest sellers in the history of Finland’s Posti postal service, with people pre-ordering the stamps in 178 countries. …

The Finnish Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee today rejected a marriage equality bill, pushing the item to consideration by the full national legislature later this year. After a lengthy campaign, the latest bid to legislate for same-sex marriage has foundered once again at the Finnish Parliaments’s Legal Affairs committee. The committee, which also rejected a previous bill on the issue, voted …

In September, Finland’s postal service will release several stamps that feature the work of famed gay artist Tom Of Finland. Via FinnBay: Itella is owned by the state of Finland, providing postal, logistics and e-commerce services in Finland. Tom of Finland or Touko Laaksonen (8 May 1920 – 7 November 1991) is one of the most popular Finnish artists in …

Finland’s parliament today began debate on a same-sex marriage bill forced back onto the table by a national petition process. Via Gay Star News: Under Finnish law, petitions can be started to force parliament to discuss bills that matter – called a ‘citizen’s initiative’. These petitions require 50,000 names within six months. The marriage equality bill achieved nearly 100,000 signatories …

Anybody else hearing The Killers? (Tipped by JMG reader Jari)

The Finnish Parliament will consider a marriage equality bill after a citizens’ petition far exceeded the required number of signatures. Supporters gathered 162,000 signatures in favor of it in the Scandinavian nation of 5.4 million people. The figure represents the largest number of signatures collected in favor of a citizen’s initiative in Finland and only 50,000 signatures, or less than …

Microsoft has purchased Finland-based Nokia’s cell phone business in a $7.2B deal that the New York Times is calling an “audacious effort” to capture the mobile market that has “largely passed it by.” Late Monday, Microsoft and Nokia said 32,000 Nokia employees would join Microsoft as a result of the all-cash deal, which is meant to turn the Finnish mobile …

Finnish Minister of Culture & Sports Paavo Arhinmäki waved a rainbow flag this afternoon during the World Track & Field Championships in Moscow.  The above-linked article is in Finnish. I’ll update this post with an English report if it appears that action will be taken by the Russian government. RELATED:  Arhinmäki ran for president of Finland in 2012 and finished …

Finland’s Eurovision entry for this year’s contest is Krista Siegfrids’ Marry Me, which has become a minor chart hit in her home country.  Below is a gay take on her track. Siegfrids is an ardent supporter of same-sex marriage (watch the ending at the link) and her own production video for the track is here. (Tipped by JMG reader Jari)

Early this month Finland’s marriage equality bill died in committee.  But some Finns wouldn’t stand for that. A drive to gather the 50,000 signatories required to take a gender-neutral marriage bill to Parliament reached its target in just one day. The accumulation of the required support means that lawmakers must now consider a bill which was previously blocked at the …

A marriage equality bill failed to get out of its committee in Finland’s Parliament today. Pink News reports: The bill, proposed by the National Coalition Party (NCP) minister Alexander Stubb proposed the bill, which would have made marriage gender-neutral, therefore allowing same-sex couples to marry. It was rejected 9 votes to 8, and so it will not go before the …

Clever. (Via Copyranter)

The government of Finland has begun debating a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. Considered one of the most conservative Nordic nations, there is already a relationship register in the country for same-sex couples, which has been in place since 2002. The new amendment would end the separation between heterosexual marriages and same-sex partnerships and allow all couples to share …

Finland’s openly gay presidential candidate lost his runoff election yesterday. Sauli Niinisto won 63 percent of the votes, compared to 37 percent for his rival, Greens candidate Pekka Haavisto, official results showed with 100 percent of ballots counted. The 63-year-old Niinisto will be the first president from the conservative National Coalition Party since 1956, and the first in 30 years …

Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s first openly gay presidential candidate, finished in second place yesterday. Since no candidate earned more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will take place. Sauli Niinisto, a former finance minister, won 37 percent of the vote, well ahead of the other candidates but short of the majority needed to avoid a second round, official preliminary …

As un-Eurovision as it gets, yet I like it.

Wait, Finland has an army? I kid, I kid. (Via – Copyranter)

Three men have been arrested and charged with a hate crime for unleashing pepper spray and smoke bombs during Helsinki’s pride parade last weekend. Officers are also looking for three other individuals suspected of participating in the assault. Over 30 people were hit by the spray. No one was seriously injured, however, some of the victims were children. Helsinki police …

Finland has become the first country in the world to make broadband internet access a legal right. From 1 July every Finn will have the right to access to a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection. Finland has vowed to connect everyone to a 100Mbps connection by 2015. In the UK the government has promised a minimum connection of at …