Grassroots activism in my hometown

Pride Month reminds us of our responsibility to create a safe and accepting atmosphere around us – both at work and in our free time. In this blog, you will hear the story of our mechanical designer and shop steward Sanja Ansamaa about how a single act grew into a community event. 

Pride Month is here again. It is a good time to remind us that each of us can influence our environment with small actions, creating a safe space around us. Easy and simple ways to do this are, for example, to remember not to make assumptions about the gender, sexuality, relationship situation or any other characteristics of the person you are talking to, and to use gender-neutral terms in conversation. 

My everyday activism took a big leap in early summer 2021 when a discussion about gender-neutral toilets sparked in my hometown’s Facebook group. Inspired by the conversation, a few friends and I gathered for a park picnic to think about what could be done to improve the tone of the discussion. That’s how Nokia Pride was born, and it was celebrated for the first time just two weeks after that park meeting. Already that autumn, we founded an association around the event because we saw a great need for it and understood that it couldn’t be a one-time thing. 

Our first event reached a group of about 50 participants, and in the following years, the number of visitors has stabilized at about 200 people. Our small park picnic with speeches has grown into a big event with parades, stalls, performers and partners. For the second year in a row, the park party was accompanied by an evening party for adults, which has been an integral part of the Nokia Pride celebration ever since. This year, for the third time, Nokia Pride Day will be preceded by smaller events organized by our partners around the city, which is why we have started to call our event Nokia Pride Week. 

The first time of Nokia Pride happened to coincide with the beginning of the Pride boom, and since then, small Prides have sprung up in the Tampere Region like mushrooms in the rain. Now there are already 10 (including Manse Pride) events around the Tampere Region! Each one’s origin story is unique and different, but ultimately, they all share the same core reason: individuals decided to come together in support of equality. 

Not all everyday activism leads to years of systematic work, and fortunately it is not meant to be so. A single approving look, a word of encouragement and inclusion are equally important actions and within the reach of all of us. These small gestures can be invaluable to the receiver. Fortunately, one person does not have to do everything, but if we all do something, we will create a better environment for all of us. 

Another nice thing about activism is that it also gives back to the person who does it. Surely the most memorable words that have been said to me came after the first Nokia Pride from the mouth of one of the participants (unknown to me at the time): “Thank you, you have fixed me and saved my life with your event”. 

So, have a great Pride month everyone, let’s improve each other’s lives by creating equality and non-discrimination around us! And not just this month, but every day. 😊  

Welcome to celebrate the fifth Nokia Pride in week 28. The main celebration will be held on July 12th at 2 p.m. in Poutunpuisto and the evening party will be celebrated from 8 p.m. onwards in Tehdassaari.