Intersections of Language, Gender, and Sexuality

The Finnish Gender Studies Conference 2025 (Sukupuolentutkimuksen päivä// genusforskningens dag) was held at Åbo Akademi University on 7 November 2025 and centred on the theme of Persistence (Sitkeys// Seghet) — a concept that resonates deeply in feminist and gender studies research.

We explored this theme through a multilingual working group titled “Intersections of Language, Gender, and Sexuality” (“Kielen, sukupuolen ja seksuaalisuuden risteämiä // Intersektioner mellan språk, kön och sexualitet”), which was organised by our research project, Kieliviha/ Språkhat/ Language Tensions, and chaired by Prof. Tuija Saresma. The working group presentations and discussions examined how issues of language intersect with gender, sexuality, belonging, and national identities, and how these intersections persist and manifest in media and cultural narratives, stereotypes, and geopolitical discourses. The finalised lineup of the panel included three presentations, delivered and discussed in different languages. 

Presentation Highlights:

• Tanja Helminen (University of Eastern Finland), in herpresentation “Sitkeät naiset suomalaisuuden sisutyyppien valossa” (“Resilient women and the types of the Finnish sisu”), examined the concept of sisu—a term deeply tied to Finnish identity—and its gendered dimensions. Helminen traced how literary and media discourses from the 20th century onward constructed models of Finnish womanhood through perseverance, while also revealing tensions and ambivalences in these representations. (Presentation was held in Finnish)
• Anna Merikallio’s (University of Turku & University of Eastern Finland) presentation “Speculative genders in translation” investigated Finnish translations of Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness and Rivers Solomon’s An Unkindness of Ghosts. Merikallio demonstrated how translation practices can reinforce or challenge normative gender ideologies, utilising queer translation studies and rhetorical criticism to expose the ethical and cultural implications of transmitting nonnormative identities. (Presentation was held in English)
• Karin Sandell & Evgenia Amey (University of Eastern Finland), in their joint presentation “Gender, sexuality, and geopolitics in online discussions about KAJ, Käärijä and Pussy Riot” focused on how online discourses surrounding these artists incorporate the themes of language, belonging, and national identity in the interconnection with gender and sexuality, revealing or challenging persistent stereotypes. (Presentation was held in Swedish and English)
  • KAJ, a Swedish-speaking comedy trio from Ostrobothnia in Finland, represented Sweden in Eurovision 2025, sparking conversations about linguistic and regional identity, nationality, and belonging. While their success was celebrated and a humorous approach and use of local dialect were praised, old prejudices about Finland-Swedishness resurfaced, exposing intersections of language, ethnicity, and gender norms.
  • Käärijä, whose Eurovision 2023 performance and public image challenge the conventional idea of masculinity, continues to inspire active discussions domestically and abroad. Media coverage, online debates, and fan productions offered a lens into how alternative masculinities are embraced—or resisted—within Finnish and global audiences.
  • Pussy Riot, infamous for their protest performances, illustrated how Russian women are reframed in global discourse: from stereotypical images to politicised figures of resistance, simultaneously admired and vilified.

By analysing social media discussions across platforms (Suomi24, Reddit, Tumblr, YouTube), we observed how perceptions of gender and sexuality (alongside humour and irony) shape cultural negotiations and tie into linguistic and geopolitical stereotypes. These cases underscore the need to study language as a dynamic site where identities are negotiated and contested.