Affective Empowerment: Transnational Connections of Early LGB Activists in Finland (1960s–1980s)

Abstract

<p>Recently, there has been a growing interest in the history of the gay and lesbian movement in the Nordic countries, Finland included. In this history, the role of transnational connections has proved important—not only with the widely influential US, but also within the Nordic countries themselves. This article focuses on early lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) activists in Finland from the late 1960s to the 1980s, examining how transnational connections appeared in their narratives and how these connections emotionally moved and motivated the activists. Theoretically and methodologically, the study draws from queer oral history and affect theory. The analysis focuses on the narratives of four Finnish and one Swedish LGB activists, as well as archival material from Finnish and Swedish archives of LGB associations. The article argues that transnational flows of attitudes, atmospheres, and personal relationships supported early LGB activists in Finland by offering them affective empowerment.<br></p>