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Nordic Network for LGBTQ+ Research on Health and Living Conditions Conference

Programme

Nordic Network for LGBTQ+ Research on Health and Living Conditions Conference

8–9 October 2026, Tampere University

The conference will be held at the Linna building of the Tampere University City Centre campus. Here you can find a map of the campus. Linna is the building marked with number 4. You can reach it either through Pinninkatu or through Kalevantie on the other side. Most of the sessions will take place at ground floor (-1 floor) of the Linna building. The main entrance by Pinninkatu leads directly to the conference venue. If you are arriving from Kalevantie, you need to go down the stairs to reach the venue.

Programme Programme QR

Thursday 8 October

  • 10:00–12:00 Network meeting (Linna K113) Chair: Kiin Catrine Andersson
  • 12:00–13:00 Lunch
  • 13:00–14:00 Opening words and Keynote: Annie Pullen Sansfaçon “Gender affirming care and Well-Being across the gender journey: Perspectives from trans and detrans young people” (Väinö Linna). Chairs: Kiin Catrine Andersson & Joa Hiitola
  • 14:00–14:15 Break and coffee
  • 14:15–15:45 Parallel sessions
      1. LGBTQ+ health and life course perspectives (Linna K113) Chair: Jukka Lehtonen
      2. Gender affirming care and recognition (Linna K103) Chair: Luca Tainio
      3. Queering professional practices and spaces (Linna 5026 – on the 5th floor) Chair: Amanda Klysing
  • 15:45–16:00 Break
  • 16:00–17:00 Panel discussion: Ethics and accountability in trans youth research – E. Kale Edmiston, Matilda Wurm, Miia Koskela & Annie Pullen Sansfaçon (Väinö Linna). Chairs: Ilo Söderström & Joa Hiitola
  • Dinner 18:30 at the Bistro Vilja (at the participants’ own expense). The address for the restaurant is Hatanpään valtatie 40. It’s about 2 km from the university, which takes about 30 min on foot, or you can catch a bus (for example bus number 11, 12, 13 or 32) from the bus stop in front of the Tampere main bus station.

Friday 9 October

  • 9:30–11:00 Parallel sessions
      1. Queer youth, health and social surroundings (Linna K103) Chair: Kris Clarke
      2. Minority stress and heteronormativity (Linna K113) Chair: Kiin Catrine Andersson
      3. Power, knowledge & ethics (Linna K108) Chair: Wibke Straube
  • 11:00–11:15 Break
  • 11:15–12:15 Keynote: Michael Barron “Queer Optimism in Hard Times: Memory, Power and the Future of Community-Led Change” (Väinö Linna). Chair: Kris Clarke
  • 12:15–13:15 Joint lunch
  • 13:15–14:45 Parallel sessions
      1. Beyond institutional practices and understandings (Linna K113) Chair: Emilia Brusila
      2. Hoping and waiting for a future (Linna K108) Chair: Venla Koivuluhta
  • 14:45–15:00 Break
  • 15:00–17:00 Nordic Trans Studies Network meeting (Linna 5026) Chairs: Luca Tainio & Wibke Straube

Instructions for presenters

Each session lasts 90 minutes and consists of 3 to 4 presentations. We wish that the presentations take no more than 15 minutes to ensure that there is enough time for questions and discussion after the presentations.

We ask each presenter to arrive at the seminar room 5 minutes before the start of the session in order to save their presentation on to a conference computer. This helps to ensure that the sessions proceed smoothly. Please save your presentation on to a USB Flash Drive beforehand. If necessary, you can also use your own laptop for the presentation.

Programme for Sessions

 

Thursday 14:15–15:45

 

1. LGBTQ+ health and life course perspectives

Linna K113, Chair: Jukka Lehtonen 

  • Elina Einiö (University of Helsinki, Helsinki Institute for Demography and Population Health): Divorce and Depressive Symptoms: A Study of Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples
  • Anna Siverskog (Uppsala universitet) & Max Kleijberg (Mälardalens universitet): Strategies for wellbeing in later life among older LGBTQ people in Sweden
  • Tyler John Perry (University of Gothenburg), Richard Bränström (Karolinska Institute), Max Kleijberg (Mälardalen University) & Anna Siverskog (Södertörn University): Social connectedness, involuntary loneliness, and mental health among older sexual and gender minority adults in Sweden: A cross-sectional community-based survey

2. Gender affirming care and recognition

Linna K103, Chair:Luca Tainio

  • Samuel Salovaara (University of Lapland), Emilia Brusila (University of Lapland), Ida Loponen (University of Lapland), Valtteri Vähä-Savo (Tampere University), Ilo Söderström (Tampere University): Access to Gender-Affirming Care in Finland in 2003–2021
  • Ylva Moberg (The Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI)), Ian Burn (University of Liverpool), Emma von Essen (Uppsala University) & J. Lucas Tilley (Uppsala University): Labor market and health trajectories before and after initiating gender-affirming care
  • Sari Hälinen (Gender Diversity & Intersex Centre of Expertise/SETA): Experiences and Support Needs of Families with Trans Children: Perspectives of Parents and Siblings
  • Unni Leino (Tampere University): Framing in trans healthcare

3. Queering professional practices and spaces

Linna 5026 – on the 5th floor, Chair: Amanda Klysing

  • Ilo Söderström (Tampere University), Kris Clarke (University of Helsinki), Joa Hiitola (Tampere University), Minna Laiti (University of Helsinki), Malin Lindroth (Oslo Metropolitan University), Siri Lindqvist (University of Gothenburg) & Heikki Tikkanen (University of Gothenburg): AFFIRM-ED – New online learning material for social and healthcare students and professionals
  • Kiin Catrine Andersson (Malmö University), Malin Lindroth (Oslo Metropolitan University) & Charlotta Carlström (Malmö University):“I’m proud to wear this crown” – child welfare workers’ reflections on mitigating known risks for young LGBTQ+ people in state care
  • Ilo Söderström (Tampere University) & Mimosa Puumalainen (University of Lapland): From queer blindfolding towards queer recognition in social work with queer refugees

 

Friday 9:30–11:00

 

1. Queer youth, health and social surroundings

Linna K103, Chair: Kris Clarke

  • Hanna Seppänen (Tampere University), Jari Kylmä (Tampere University), Minna Törnävä (Tampere University of Applied Sciences) & Minna Laiti (Helsinki University): LGBTQ+ youth Sexual Counseling in healthcare – Development of Theoretical Model
  • Sofia Karoliina Kemppinen (University of Helsinki) & Elina Einiö (University of Helsinki): Mental health of sexual minority girls: the role of social support
  • Matti Pihlajamaa (Centre for European Studies, University of Helsinki): Protecting or Politicizing Trans Children’s Rights? Epistemic Struggles in the 2023 LGR Reform Preparation in the Finnish Parliament
  • Amanda Klysing (Lund university), Benjamin Claréus (Kristianstad university), Matilda Wurm (Örebro university), Anna Malmquist (Linköping university), Tove Lundberg (Lund university): Workplace incivility as modern discrimination: a longitudinal test of the selective incivility theory among Swedish LGBTQ employees

2. Minority stress and heteronormativity

Linna K113, Chair: Kiin Catrine Anderson

  • Elina Partanen, Ari Haaranen & Päivi Kankkunen (University of Eastern Finland): Minority Stress Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minority Adults in Finnish Healthcare: A Qualitative Interview Study
  • Kisse Ruuska & Jari Kylmä (Tampere University): Resilience factors mitigating effects of gender minority stress in transgender and gender diverse youth
  • Elina Partanen (University of Eastern Finland), Ari Haaranen (University of Eastern Finland), Minna Laiti (University of Helsinki) & Päivi Kankkunen (University of Eastern Finland): Causes of Minority Stress in LGB and TGNC Individuals: An Integrative Review
  • Norman Anderssen (University of Bergen): Heteronormativity in Norway – how strong and bad is it?

3. Power, Knowledge & Ethics

Linna K108, Chair: Wibke Straube

  • David R. Banos (University of Oslo), Anine Hartmann, Frende Lorentzen et al. (Norwegian Patient Organization for Gender Incongruence), Monica Patrascu (University of Bergen), et al. (this work is a collaboration between several organizations, academics and public departments): The Research Ethics Case at Oslo University Hospital Concerning Transgender People
  • Kristopher Salvesen (Independent Researcher) & David R. Banos (University of Oslo): Referral Trends in Gender-Affirming Care: A Contextual Analysis of Norwegian and Finnish Data
  • Jukka Lehtonen (University of Helsinki): Global view on public data gathering on LGBTIQ+ health and welfare
  • Kaarna Tuomenvirta (University of Helsinki): Research Poetry in Conveying Trans People’s Experiences at Finnish GICs

 

Friday 13:15–14:45

 

1. Beyond institutional practices and understandings

Linna K113, Chair: Emilia Brusila

  • Michael Nebeling Petersen (University of Copenhagen) & Guodong Chen (University of Copenhagen): Tender Translation Infrastructure. Theorising the Mid-Space Between Queer Peer-Support and Institutional Care
  • Maarit Huuska, Elina Sorsa, Miska Salakka, Mio Kivelä, Alex Karjalainen, Enni Happonen & Jaana Pirskanen (Gender Diversity & Intersex Centre of Expertise /SETA): Healing yourself through your inner and social resources: tips, practices, and perspectives

2. Hoping and waiting for a future

Linna K108, Chair: Venla Koivuluhta

  • Emma Eleonorasdotter (Åbo Akademi), Matilda Svensson (Malmö University) & Pål Brunnström (Malmö University): The Hope of Queer and Feminist Spaces: Hope as Methodology Across Nordic Borders
  • Lena Sotevik (Stockholm University): Imagining a queer future? Dilemmas in research exploring young people’s visions of the future
  • Jamie Lee (University of Helsinki): How to Build a House

 

Friday 15:00-17:00

 

  • Nordic Trans Studies Network meeting (Linna 5026) Chairs: Luca Tainio & Wibke Straube

Images by Elisa Vettenranta