60°09.861′, 024°56.552′ Inside sanding box
Max Rand (1942–92) was a journalist at several leading newspapers and in public radio. His father was Estonian and mother Finnish. He moved to Finland in the 1930s. Born to a family of two cultures, Max spoke, besides Finnish and Estonian, also Russian, Swedish, German, Czech and French. Because of his work and language skills he spent a lot of time In Moscow and saw how the lgbtiq minorities were treated in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The same is repeated now in Chechnya.
Max’s life partner, Jorma Hentilä, served as the Secretary General of the Finnish People’s Democratic League in 1977–84 and as chairperson of Seta in 1983–91. He was one of the first politicians in Finland to be openly gay. The couple also took part in the founding of Gay Gambrini, Helsinki’s first gay bar.
“After listening ever since 1970 to discussions at the Parliament regarding the rainbow community in Finland, I find it hard to believe that Finland is regarded as a civilized state.“ Jorma Hentilä, speech to celebrate the 35t anniversary of Seta and the 15th Anniversary of the Transgender Support Center, 2009