Jussi Mäkinen wrote that the controversy surrounding the Helsinki Pride community would fit better into context if it were stated that it is the local association of Seta in the capital region and the former HeSeta ry. According to him, the association was established to do social and youth work, not to organize marches or engage in commercial activities. Mäkinen mentioned that the founding meeting was held at the restaurant Gambrinus in Helsinki on November 29, 1990. Mäkinen estimated that after the Tahdon2013 campaign, successful people from the upper middle class became involved in the association's activities, and its public image changed. He described the development such that marketing-oriented activities were built on top of an organization based on community and volunteer work. According to him, as organizations grow, politicians and other actors often seek positions in their administration, who are not familiar with the organization's rules or seek to change them. Mäkinen wrote that, in his opinion, neither STEA nor its predecessor RAY funded Pride events, but rather social and youth work. He described the Pride event as a demonstration and a fundraising channel for the organization's core mission. Mäkinen criticized the actors he characterized as event producers for deciding to stop social and youth work if funding were cut, according to him. He concluded by asking whether similar actors would next turn to veteran organizations or the Lotta Svärd organization. #HelsinkiPride #Seta #sosiaalityö (translated)
