LGBTQIA+ related materials

On this page you will find a collection of materials related to LGBTQIA+ students and minority stress. Explore and use the materials!

You can check out the materials here

Do you have any questions, feedback or suggestions for improving these materials? Please send your feedback by email to queermieli@nyyti.fi.

There's a laptop on top of a table. Picture is open on the laptop screen. There's LGBTQIA+ students in the picture, QueerMieli project's and Nyyti ry's logo, and text "Description of what a safe study experience means for LGBTQIA+ students"

Description of the study experience of LGBTQIA+ students

In cooperation with the higher education community, the QueerMieli project made a description of the study experience of LGBTQIA+ students. The description consists of observations about the current state and the target state as well as of concrete means to achieve a more inclusive and safer study experience for students belonging to gender and sexual minorities. It has been developed together with student organizations, professionals who work directly with students and professionals working with strategies and decision-making. It also considers inputs from the project’s peer support activities and the Minority Stress and Experiences of Discrimination in Higher Education Survey, conducted in 2024.

The description aims to give visibility to experiences and challenges of LGBTQIA+ students, offering suggestions for professionals and actives in student organisations to promote the equality and mental well-being of LGBTQIA+ students.

We have utilised knowledge and experiences gathered during our QueerMieli -project in the development of the description as well as thoughts and ideas gathered from networks. We have also utilised materials made by different LGBTQIA+ and equality organisations and applied them in to higher education context. The conversations we have had in our peer support activities, in different events and with LGBTQIA+ student organisations and also our Minority Stress and Experiences of Discrimination in Higher Education survey have brought a strong voice from LGBTQIA+ students to our description. As a part of the development of the description we arranged a discussion event in the spring of 2025 for actives from student organisations, professionals from higher education and student health care, and professionals from strategic work and decision-making where we figured out different kinds of means to promote equality and inclusivity of LGBTQIA+ students. Thank you for sharing your views, ideas and dreams for promoting a safer study experience for LGBTQIA+ students!

Participants in the discussion event in the spring 2025:
Jaana Akiola, Specialist, student well-being, Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Emilia Blåsten, LUT University
Taina Cooke, Specialist of Equality, Oulu University
Ola Ikonen, Qirjava ry
Roosa Karttunen, FSHS psychologist
Maarika Kortelainen, study curator, student welfare services, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Tommi Lehtonen, research director, Vaasa University
Sanja Laitinen-Lindelöf, vice chairman, SAMOK
Mirka Nieminen, board member, SYL
Anna Ovaska, FT, docent, Helsinki University
Mikko Salminen, student guidance specialista, Tampere University
Alli Teirikko, Ooka ry
Katri Tervaspalo, educational advisor, Ministry of Education and Culture
Reijo Viitanen, educational manager, Humak University of Applied Sciences

Sateenkaariopiskelijat information package, based on the Student Barometers from 2022 and 2019

Who are LGBTQIA+ students? How are students belonging to gender and sexual minorities doing? How do their experiences of studies and equality, as well as their thoughts about the future, compare to non-LGBTQIA+ students?

The Foundation for Research on Studies and Education (Otus sr) compiled the “Sateenkaariopiskelijat” (LGBTQIA+ students) information package based on the 2022 and 2019 Student Barometers. The information package describes the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students in higher education and offers unique information about everyday student life of students belonging to gender and sexual minorities.

The LGBTQIA+ students information package is intended for anyone to use, whether you are a teacher, active in a student organisation, principal or employee in student health care. The information package offers interesting information also for LGBTQIA+ students themselves. Check out the information package as a whole, in parts, or by selecting the most relevant aspects for you. Please also share the information package with your networks and collegues! You are free to use the information package in your own non-commercial activities, as long as you cite the source. You can refer to the source eg. like this:

Lauronen, T. (2025). Sateenkaariopiskelijat: Sateenkaarevat vastaajat Opiskelijabarometriaineistoissa 2022 ja 2019. Opiskelun ja koulutuksen tutkimussäätiö Otus sr (Opiskelijabarometri).

The publication is in PDF format.

There's a laptop on top of a table. Picture is open on the laptop screen. There's LGBTQIA+ student in the picture, QueerMieli project's and Nyyti ry's logo, and text "Minority Stress and Experiences of Discrimination in Higher Education -survey, QueerMieli -project, Nyyti ry"

Results of the survey Minority Stress and Experiences of Discrimination in Higher Education

How does the atmosphere in universities and universities of applied sciences feel like for LGBTQIA+ students? What kind of things cause minority stress and fear of discrimination for LGBTQIA+ students? Is there any difference between students belonging to gender minorities and students belonging in sexual minorities?

A survey conducted as part of Nyyti’s QueerMieli project examined experiences of minority stress and discrimination among students belonging to sexual and gender minorities in higher education and student healthcare. The survey, carried out at the end of 2024, was answered by 612 LGBTQ+ students from various parts of Finland.

How does the atmosphere in higher education feel like to students belonging in gender and sexual minorities? Is there any differences between the experiences of the students belonging in gender minorities and students belonging in sexual minorities?

QueerMieli -project conducted the Minority Stress and Experiences of Discrimination in Higher Education survey at the end of 2024. The aim of the survey was to give visibility to the experiences of minority stress and discrimination of LGBTQIA+ students in higher education and student health care.

There's a laptop on top of a table. Picture is open on the laptop screen. There's LGBTQIA+ students in the picture, QueerMieli project's and Nyyti ry's logo, and text "Collaboratively produced materials, QueerMieli -project"

Collaboratively produced materials

During the QueerMieli project we produced materials in collaboration with other organisations and activists. We link to these materials here.

During the spring 2025 Nyyti ry’s QueerMieli project participated  in collaboration with multiple transactivism organisation in to a survey produced by Anukatariina Saloheimo. The survey concerned the quality of equality and non-discrimination plans of Finnish workplaces and educational institutions from a LGBTQIA+ perspective. 211 people responded to the survey, 78 of whom were students and 133 employees in work organisations. The number of survey responses was low, which reduced the generalizability of the results.

Based on the survey results, the plans have significant shortcomings in terms of their systematic approach, inclusivity, and consideration of sexual and gender minority perspectives. Many of these shortcomings are such that the plans do not meet the requirements set by law.

One of the key observations was that students, in particular, were poorly aware of the plans. We shared this observations based on the responses we had in the survey Minority Stress and Experiences of Discrimination in Higher Education.
You can view the results of The quality of equality and non-discrimination plans from a LGBTQIA+ perspective survey from the link below.