THE PROBLEM WITH FINLAND

This week Bette (she/they) and Ez (he/him) tackle Finland, a country where trans healthcare seems stranded in the previous century, and whose most famous anti-trans adolescent psychiatrist, Riitterkerttu Kaltiala, has collaborated with SEGM, the Florida Board of Medicine, and the Cass Review board. As Kaltiala hosts a webinar for a small Australian trans-skeptical psychiatrists’ group and the internet debates the merits or otherwise of her latest “largely useless” study, Bette shares the testimonies of Finnish trans young people forced to endure a system that is “comparable to torture”. Meanwhile a story has surfaced in the Finnish state-run media: staff at Kaltiala’s EVA Unit have been illegally restraining young residents. Now that they’re tying down cis kids with bedsheets, will the world finally listen?

🔗 If you'd like to listen back to the unedited episode - with the music - head to our On Demand website. And don't forget to follow our socials at Facebook and Instagram.

Timestamps and Links:

• 00:00 - Acknowledgement of Country
• 00:20 - Welcome to Tranzmission
• 01:00 - Content Warning
• 01:36 - Intro to Finland and Riitterkerttu Kaltiala
• 02:55 - The Vine Review: prioritising Finland
• 05:14 - Kaltiala’s RACGP webinar cancelled
• 05:59 - Experiences of young people in the UK: CYPGS and PATHWAYS
• 08:40 - Finland and the Netherlands: small countries, big influences
• 09:57 - Kaltiala timeline
• 11:17 - Kaltiala et al (2019): drops in depression, anxiety, suicidality
• 12:24 - Australian Christian Lobby interview: Which harms?
• 13:48 - Florida Board of Medicine and Cass Review
• 14:24 - Letter to Finnish Parliament
• 15:27 - Ruuska et al (2024): “drastic reduction in suicide risk”
• 18:52 - Ruuska et al (2026): “largely useless as a scientific investigation”
• 20:23 - Assigned Media: Finland is incredibly bad at treating transgender people
• 21:06 - Kehrääjä: Describe to Me How You Masturbate
• 28:41 - Assigned Media: Don’t Forget Your Homework
• 33:47 - Therapy First Clinical Guidelines (now offline)
• 34:44 - Nadrowski: A new flight from womanhood
• 36:16 - Saxby et al (2026): GAHT reduces mental-healthcare use
• 36:55 - Saxby sibling study: Gender-affirming surgeries reduce mental-healthcare use
• 37:23 - Bette asks is mental health the right metric?
• 42:01 - YLE: Staff restricted minors illegally in psychiatric care in Tampere
• 43:52 - Guardian: Most right-wing Finnish government in generations

Support Services

• QLife - 1800 184 527
• QC LGBT Mental Health Services
• Open Doors Youth Services Inc.
• LifeLine - 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636
• How to Support Transgender & Gender-questioning Youth
• Transgender Map

Get Involved

• Trans Justice Project
• Meanjin Peoples Pride
• Parents of Trans Kids Speak Out
• Protect Trans Kids QLD

4ZZZ's community lives and creates on Turrbal, Yuggera, and Jagera land. Sovereignty was never ceded.

Produced and recorded by Ez at 4zzz in Fortitude Valley, Meanjin/Brisbane Australia on Turrabul and Jaggera Country and audio and copy written and edited by Bette and cover image designed by Tobi for podcast distribution for Creative Broadcasters Limited.