This peer support meeting is for adults whose gender or sexual orientation has changed or who have discovered it during adulthood. The meeting offers a safe space to discuss your experiences, feelings, and for example how your close ones have reacted to the new situation. The meeting is held in English.

At the meeting, participants chat informally over coffee, tea, and light snacks. Everyone is free to participate in a way that feels right for them. The meeting is facilitated by trained volunteers from Family Relations Centre for LGBTIQ+ (Sateenkaari-ihmisten perhesuhdekeskus).

Everyone is equally welcome at the event. You do not need to have a clear understanding or definition of your identity to attend. People often wonder if they need to identify as ”queer” or part of the rainbow community to come along – there is no such requirement at all. Participants come from diverse backgrounds. They have varying identities, relationships, and family situations.

You are welcome to attend as your authentic self, wherever you are in your journey right now.

The event is free of charge. No registration is required in advance.

The event follows safer space principles (see below) and is a substance-free environment. You do not need to be familiar with or understand safer space principles beforehand. Our facilitators are there to help everyone can feel safe to participate.

You are most welcome!

Time: Sunday 11.10.2026 at 16.00-18.00. Please arrive at 16.00 so that we can start the meeting on time.

Place: The space of Family Relations Centre and Rainbow Families Finland. Address: Haapaniemenkatu 7-9C, 2nd floor, Helsinki (Merihaka).

Organiser: Family Relations Centre for LGBTIQ+

More info: Sanna Metsäpuu, info@perhesuhdekeskus.fi.

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Location and Accessibility

The main entrance to the premises of Family Relations Centre and Rainbow Families Finland is located on the yard deck (pedestrian and bicycle traffic only) and it is not fully accessible (e.g. too narrow for twin pushchairs and wide wheelchairs). The door unlocks when the doorbell is pressed, but it has to be pulled open and the entrance has a low threshold. Press the door bell ”Sateenkaariperheet”.

An accessible entrance (an automatic door and ramps without handrails) is located one floor down in the parking facility. If you arrive in Merihaka along cycling or pedestrian routes, you must take the public lift between Meritorni’s C and B staircases to the street level to access the accessible entrance. From the lift, turn left and then right after a couple of metres. The green double doors are easy to spot and the entrance is marked with the text ‘7–9 C’. The area in front of the doors has space for taxis and other transport vehicles.

The door bell ”Sateenkaariperheet” is located on the right side of the accessible entrance. The doors open automatically to a spacious corridor with the lifts located on the left. The spacious lift has automatic doors. Our premises are located on the second floor. From the lift, you come to a tight vestibule with locked doors, which we will open. The access routes are spacious.

The premises house an accessible toilet. There is no inductive loop on the premises.

A more detailed description of accessibility is available on our website. If you have any questions about our premises, contact us by email at info@perhesuhdekeskus.fi.

Principles For a Safer Space

It is important that everyone taking part in any activities by Family Relations Centre has the opportunity to feel comfortable and welcomed as themselves. The responsibility for the creation of a safer space falls on everyone collectively. This is why we have developed the following principles to be followed at all moments of coming together.

Act with sensitivity.

There are many kinds of people, families, and relationships. Don’t assume the gender of another participant, or their family member, based on their appearance or name. Make a choice to not call children boys or girls, and don’t try to guess what a parent wants to be called. Don’t make assumptions or generalisations about the sexual orientation, family and love relationships, parenthood, bodies, or backgrounds of others. Respect everyone’s right to self-determination and indeterminacy, meaning the right to decide and share with others who and what they are.

Be trustworthy.

Everything that is shared in a meeting is absolutely confidential. It is also confidential who is in a meeting at a certain moment. Don’t take or publish photos without the permission of everyone visible in the picture.

Listen.

Give everyone an equal chance to use their voice, or to remain in the background if they choose to. Everyone can only ever speak for themselves. We learn from one another by truly listening.

You can participate according to your own needs.

Feel free to share as much or as little about things important to you as you wish. You do not need to share anything. Remember to take your own wellbeing into account.

Be respectful and friendly.

Show respect to others and to their experiences. Value the boundaries set by others. Please don’t touch another person without their consent, for example.

Give and receive feedback.

Some individuals may have practised sensitive ways of talking and actions for quite some time, while others are only at the beginning of this journey. Attitude is key, along with a desire to learn to act sensitively. If someone uses a term that is offensive, or which misrepresents a certain situation, correct it matter-of-factly. When making a mistake, take in the feedback. You can say, for instance: “Sorry. Thank you for correcting me.”

Get involved.

We do not tolerate harassment, racism, or discrimination. If you notice some form of harassment or other inappropriate conduct taking place, don’t remain a silent bystander. Go to the person experiencing the harassment for support, and inform the harasser of the reason: “What you just did is not ok”, for example. If you are unable to intervene in the situation yourself, please inform the event organisers immediately.

All events are substance-free environments.

If you experience or witness harassment, discrimination, or inappropriate behaviour, please inform the event organisers. If you want to get in touch about a situation later, please get in touch with Sanna Metsäpuu who works at Family Relations Centre. You can reach them via email info@perhesuhdekeskus.fi.