Inside the growing movement creating new opportunities for lesbian, non-binary, and trans women in Finland

For weeks, we tried to coordinate calendars with Eliisa and Aada. Messages crossed paths, schedules shifted, and at one point it seemed the entire interview might happen through email. That would have been perfectly fine.

But some conversations deserve a table, a coffee or a good cocktail , and the opportunity to read the expressions behind the words. After several attempts, Queerland Media finally met the founders of Sapphic Space in the iconic gay bar Mann's Street in central Helsinki.

What followed was less an interview and more a conversation between people interested in the same question:

What happens when a community decides to create the space it has been missing?

Eliisa & Aada the founders of Sapphic Space in Helsinki Finland

Today, Eliisa and Aada are behind one of the most talked-about lesbian-focused event concepts in the Finnish capital. Since launching their first event on January 8, Sapphic Space has already organized six gatherings, attracting far more people than either founder initially expected.

The demand continues to grow. And so does the conversation around visibility, representation, and community for queer women in Finland.

A City More Queer Than Many People Think

When people think about Helsinki's LGBTQ+ scene, certain venues usually come to mind first. Yet lesbian-focused spaces have historically been less visible. That reality became one of the motivations behind Sapphic Space.

“Sapphic Space was born from a simple idea: creating the kind of community space we wished had existed when we were looking for one ourselves.”

— Eliisa

As LGBTQ+ people, many of us know the feeling of searching for places where we can simply relax, connect, and exist without explanation.

Safe spaces are not abstract concepts.

They are physical places.

They are conversations.

They are communities.

And for Eliisa and Aada, creating one became a personal mission.

A Trip To London That Changed Everything

Like many modern queer success stories, this one began while traveling, the couple visited London to celebrate their anniversary and during the trip, they spent an evening at SHE Soho, a well-known venue for queer women, non-binary people, and their guests.

The experience stayed with them long after they returned to Finland and according to Eliisa, the atmosphere felt intimate, welcoming, and different from anything they had experienced back home. The conversation that followed started almost as a joke. Could Helsinki have something similar?Could they build it themselves? Aada recalls those early discussions as a mix of dreaming and laughing.

@Saphic Space

At the time, opening a dedicated venue seemed unrealistic. But creating events? That felt possible. And Sapphic Space was born.

From Small-Town Finland To Building Community

Both founders come from different parts of Finland. Eliisa grew up in Kouvola, while Aada is originally from Espoo. Today, they share both a relationship and a business project centered around Lesbian community-building. Before Sapphic Space, their experiences navigating Helsinki's nightlife were similar to those of many queer women. Most roads eventually led to the same venues, while those spaces served an important role, they often did not offer the type of environment they were searching for.

They wanted somewhere that encouraged conversation. Somewhere people could actually meet. Somewhere connections felt natural.

Why Has Helsinki Been Missing These Spaces?

When asked why lesbian women have lacked consistent spaces in Helsinki for so long, Aada points to history. According to her, gay venues have existed for decades, often built around male audiences, as a result, lesbian-focused spaces never developed with the same consistency. She also notes that entrepreneurship naturally follows audiences and market demand. Historically, many LGBTQ+ businesses in Finland have focused primarily on gay men.

That reality, she believes, contributed to the absence of similar spaces for queer women.

*"People needed these events more than we realized."*

Aada

The Event Nobody Expected

The founders of Sapphic Space expected a modest turnout for their first event, instead, the response exceeded every expectation. According to Aada & Eliisa, attendance was nearly three times larger than originally anticipated. At certain points, the venue reached capacity and many people could not enter. For the founders, the turnout revealed something important. “The community already existed”, people were simply waiting for a place to gather and since then, attendees have continued asking the same question after every event: "When is the next one?"

More Than Dating. More Than Nightlife.

Sapphic Space welcomes lesbians, non-binary people, and trans women but the founders are careful not to define the project exclusively as a dating space. Their vision is broader.

“No matter who you are, everyone deserves spaces where they can simply meet people.”

— Eliisa

According to Eliisa and Aada, the events are designed to create opportunities for conversation, friendship, self-discovery, and connection. Not everyone attends looking for romance and many arrive simply hoping to meet people who understand their experiences. In an increasingly digital world, that has become surprisingly valuable.

Visibility Comes With Challenges

Despite Finland's reputation as a progressive country, visibility remains complicated. Both founders shared experiences of receiving intrusive comments from strangers because of their relationship and some encounters happened in public places. Others occurred during everyday interactions and those experiences are not unique.

Eliisa - Co-Founder of Sapphic Space Helsinki

Many LGBTQ+ people develop internal habits designed to assess safety before expressing affection publicly. The calculation often becomes automatic.

Is this place safe? Is this moment safe? Can I be myself here?

For many queer people, those questions never completely disappear.

The Business Taboo Inside LGBTQ+ Communities

One of the most interesting parts of our conversation centered around entrepreneurship specifically, the discomfort that sometimes emerges when LGBTQ+ founders talk openly about money. Sapphic Space occasionally sells stickers, pins, and merchandise at events. According to the founders, doing so can sometimes trigger feelings of guilt but not because the products lack value, but because some people assume community projects should always be free.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sapphic Space HKI (@sapphicspace.hki)

Eliisa believes this reflects a larger issue.

“We were at Barcelona pride last year and to my surprise they didn’t have free stuff in the stalls. In Finland in pride events people often assume that stickers, pins and other items are free.”

— Aada

Creating events requires resources and yes a lot like Venue costs, design work, printing, marketing, production, staffing, music, logistics. The reality is simple: community spaces require investment and sustaining them often requires financial support.

A Community Still Finding Its Unity

When discussing Helsinki's broader LGBTQ+ community, both founders of Sapphic Space describe a landscape that sometimes feels fragmented.

Different groups often move within separate circles. Lesbians, Gay men, Trans people, Non-binary communities, Activists, Artists, Entrepreneurs.

According to Eliisa and Aada, Pride Month is often the moment when those communities become most visibly connected but outside of those celebrations, interactions can be less frequent. Yet initiatives like Sapphic Space suggest new opportunities for collaboration. Not through slogans, but through shared experiences.

Why Representation Still Matters

Picture by Sapphic Space

At Queerland Media, we frequently ask people why representation remains important and the answer often comes back to visibility because for Eliisa and Aada, growing up meant navigating stereotypes about what lesbians were supposed to look like.

Today, they believe younger generations are benefiting from broader representations of identity and that visibility creates possibilities. It allows people to imagine themselves differently. It reminds them there is no single way to be queer.

The Magazine Idea They Can't Stop Thinking About

One future project continues to surface in conversations between the founders. A magazine.

The idea emerged during brainstorming sessions, long before they mentioned it publicly, Aada, who has a journalism background, says she has always loved print magazines. As a child, she even created her own. Eliisa sees similar potential after years working in the Restaurant Industry, she noticed something simple: “People read what is placed in front of them”. A lesbian-focused publication, they believe, could feature interviews, community stories, event calendars, entrepreneurs, artists, and culture.

For now, it remains an idea. But judging by their track record, ideas have a habit of becoming reality.

Looking Beyond Helsinki

The future of Sapphic Space extends beyond the Finnish capital. The founders say they are already considering events in other Finnish cities but international expansion is also part of the conversation. Tallinn appears to be one of the most realistic possibilities because Its proximity and evolving LGBTQ+ landscape make it an interesting prospect.

What They Want Young Queer People To Hear

Before ending our conversation, we asked what message they would give young queer people who feel isolated, uncertain, or afraid to be themselves. Their answer was simple: You are not alone.

Eliisa & Aada - The founders of Sapphic Space Helsinki Finland

According to Eliisa and Aada, diversity exists within every part of the LGBTQ+ community. Even if someone has never seen another person who looks, sounds, or lives exactly like them, that does not mean they are alone. The journey toward self-acceptance can take time but visibility helps, representation helps, community helps. And sometimes, all it takes is finding the right room full of people.

Building Something That Didn't Exist Before

Six events in, Sapphic Space is still evolving. The founders continue learning, adjusting, growing and some nights exceed expectations. Others present new challenges.

But one thing has become increasingly clear. The demand for spaces centered on queer women in Finland is real and according to the people attending these events, the conversation is only beginning. Support your local queer entrepreneurs because Every ticket purchased. Every event attended. Every drink at a queer bar. Every share, every applause, every act of support matters.

Eliisa & Aada - Sapphic Space and the New Era of Helsinki’s Lesbian Community