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.