Join us tomorrow night at 21.00 (GMT +2) on Radio Free Finland for the live interview with Jani Ryhänen, President of the Social Democratic Pink Rose organization, a political LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans gender) organization in Finland. We’ll be discussing LGBT issues in Finland. Some info about Jani…

Studying Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management at the Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Organization and Training Officer of the Social Democratic Youth in Finland. The president of the first political LGBT organization in Finland, Social Democratic Pink Rose. Active in the politics - member of the Finnish Social Democratic party and several NGO’s. Appreciates friends, good restaurants, art and running. Easy going guy.

Tune-in Monday night for the live interview, all you need is Skype to listen-in and a micrphone if you wish to participate. If you don’t want to ask your questions live, you can e-mail us (info >>AT>> radiofreefinland dot net) before the show or send a text chat to us during the show, and we’ll read your comments live on the air.

Click below to read more about the Pink Rose organization…

PINK ROSE:
Press release: The first political LGBT association founded in Finland

THE FIRST POLITICAL LGBT ASSOCIATION - SOCIALDEMOCRATIC PINK ROSE -
FOUNDED IN FINLAND

The first political LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi and transgender)
association, Pink Rose, was founded in Finland during the Helsinki
Pride 2006 -festival, on Saturday 1st of July 2006. Association Pink
Rose is based on Socialdemocratic values and its aim is to enhance
discussion about the rights of sexual minorities in Finland,
especially among the Socialdemocratic Party (SDP). Altough the
position among sexual minority in Finland is rather good, tolerance
and attitudes toward LGBT-people are still sometimes hard.

One of the founder and the president of Pink Rose, Mr Jani Ryhänen,
says that association that is focused only for LGBT-rights, has been
much needed among SDP. ”Background work for Pink Rose has been done
since 2003, after three years of hard work, time to found association
finally came”. Although one of the main values for SDP is equality and
mutual respect of each other, there are still some individuals who do
not consider LGBT-issues as part of the equality work. ”The founding
of the Pink Rose is an excellent example of a work what people can do
by themselves to promote equality in our party” Ryhänen adds. Ryhänen
hopes, that comrades in other countries, where there are not yet
LGBT-association based for socialdemocratic values, would follow the
excample and found their own associations.

Pink Rose is open for everyone dispite persons sexual orientation. In
this way Pink Rose wants to stress that fight for LGBT-rights is
everyones task, not only for sexual minority themselves. Interest
toward new association has been huge: the day Pink Rose was founded,
the second vice president of the Finnish Socialdemocratic Party and
Minister of Labour, Mrs Tarja Filatov, joined the association. Member
of the board of Pink Rose, member of the Finnish Parliament, Mrs
Susanna Rahkonen, emphasizes the importance of the association. ”The
way how Pink Rose gather people together also outside SDP is an good
example of how to modernize old party strugtures” continues Rahkonen.

For the vice president of the Pink Rose was chosen Mrs Sanna Vallinen,
other members of the board are Miss Hanna Isbom, Miss Emma Kuntsi,
Miss Anna Mäenpää, Mr Nicce Mäkinen, Miss Piia Vaara and Mrs Kaarin
Keski-Korhonen Miss Mira Tenhunen, Mr Henri Ruuskanen and Mr Oscar
Ortiz-Nieminen. Treasurer for the association was chose Mr Anssi
Pirttijärvi, who has been another striving force behind the Pink Rose.

For more information about the Pink Rose give the president of the
board, Mr Jani Ryhänen. Tel. + 358 (0)50 537 23 48 or e-mail
jani.ryhanen(a)janiryhanen.com / Helsinki, Finland.