Sapfinen verkonmutka

Hannele Lehtikuusi 20.2.1960-20.2.2004

Helsingin Sanomat 26.2.2004

IN MEMORIAM

Hannele Lehtikuusi, organizational secretary of the Green League of Finland and a fighter for glbt rights, died of a serious illness in Helsinki on February 20th at the age of 44.

She was born in Kitee on February 20th, 1960. Lehtikuusi graduated from Savonlinna Senior Secondary School of Art and Music and later studied comparative religion etc. at the University of Helsinki.

Interest in social activism was strongly present in the life of Hannele Lehtikuusi. Her participation in organizational and cultural activities was keen and versatile.

She was widely known as an advocate for glbt rights, as, together with her wife Hanna, she gave a warm human face for rainbow families - same sex couples and their children - in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles and television programs.

Lehtikuusi was active in SETA (Organization for Sexual Equality) for a very long time, her most visible position being as the SETA chairwoman between 1995 and 1997. She also gave a start to Vinokino, the Turku glbt film festival and was one of the founding activists of ILGA Europe, the European glbt cooperative organization.

Her purposeful, frank contribution made a lasting impression on many influential politicians. She participated as a lobbyist in behind-the-scenes discussions to further e.g. glbt rights, such as legislation on registered partnerships.

In 1993, she started working for the Green League of Finland, and her impact in consolidating the organizational activities of the party was crucial. With her assistance, the services provided for the green member organizations of the League acquired their present form. For over a decade she was responsible for the development of the statute of the party and, as the organizational secretary, for being there for the grassroots level of the party.

Lehtikuusi was deputy City Councillor since 1996 and she was the first deputy chair for the Uusimaa Regional Council between 1996 and 2000.

Hannele Lehtikuusi will be sadly missed by her spouse, relatives and a wide circle of friends, and by the couple's two small sons.

Ari Heikkinen
Rainer Hiltunen

The writers are colleagues and family friends

Updated 11.03.2004