RFSU x Pride Helsinki – The freedom to grow
The freedom to be who you are – regardless of your gender or sexual orientation - begins with safe and reliable information, acceptance, and the right to your own body. This is the guiding idea behind RFSU that was set from the start in 1933. RFSU continues that vision in partnership with Helsinki Pride.
Freedom cannot be taken for granted
The freedom to grow into yourself doesn’t happen over night. It grows through knowledge, through encounters with others, and through someone saying: you are enough, just as you are.
Yet for many LGBTQI+ young people, everyday life is still filled with uncertainty. Bullying, discrimination and invisibility affect how their bodies, minds and futures feel. In Finland, over half of 8th and 9th grade LGBTQI+ youth had experienced discrimination, compared to only third of the majority*.
This is why Pride is still needed and RFSU stands with it. We also see that sex education is an important factor and that it’s about much more than just facts. It is about creating safety.
*Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare’s The School Health Promotion study 2026
Building safety through education
When young people receive inclusive and accessible sex education, they are given permission to explore themselves without shame. It means having the words to describe their experiences, support in building their identity – and the feeling that they are not alone.
It is also about the right to pleasure, boundaries and safe choices.
Condoms are a concrete example of this. They are not just protection, but an enabler: a tool that allows people to explore their sexuality safely, on their own terms. When protection is in place, confidence follows – and confidence enhances pleasure.
RFSU is committed in offering free condoms via school nurses and health education teachers, each year. We also support teachers and youth workers by offering a free, inclusive sex ed material in our website.
Access to information & protection
RFSU want to make supportive, inclusive sex education available to as many people as possible – including on the social media platforms where young people already are. Even though current algorithms often limit the visibility of content related to sexual health and rights, RFSU will continue working to make reliable knowledge accessible.
Because the problem is not young people – but the environments around them. When energy is spent on wondering whether it is safe to be open about one’s identity, there is less room for wellbeing and joy. We have responsibility to change that – the freedom to grow belongs to everyone.
Give a F*ck Lounge at Pride Park Festival in Helsinki
RFSU takes care of protection in Helsinki’s Pride Park Festival by handing out condoms, lube, and world-class entertainment – so that you can come prepared and give a f*ck.
RFSU have teamed up with FCF Wrestling: their electrifying show wrestling performance gets the adrenaline pumping as larger-than-life characters take to the ring in a battle between good and evil.
In addition, Gee Gee Van De Slay’s saucy Sex Toy Bingo (and RFSU’s pleasurable prizes) brings everything you need for a hell of a party. Expect glamour, camp, British humor, and a top-notch performance!
27.6.2026 Helsinki Pride parade starts from Senaatintori at 12:00 and ends at Kaivopuisto, where Park Festival is held 13:00 until 21:00.
