Summer 2024
Denmark Guy – how Käärijä unintentionally validated my gender
“Bulbasaur! Bulbasaur! Denmark… Guy.”
That was what he said to me trying to get my attention during the Ravintola Backas gig. He’d just been performing Välikoulema where a digital version of the Pokemon on my cap was on the concert screen. Maybe that was why he’d noticed my hat so clearly. His smile was wide and childlike. I too was probably grinning like a fool.
This was the second time I’d been called out during the concert, and I was still high on our first interaction. At that point he had noticed me (on the front row after queuing since 7 in the morning) waving my little Danish flag around showing off my newly trimmed black bowl cut for everybody to see. He, in turn, pointing to me mentioning how I had his ‘old hair’. Maybe I should’ve teased him, saying I stole the hair from him. But even then, I’d just smiled not sure what to say or what to do with these roaring emotions.
This second time was even more magical somehow. He had seen me! In more ways than one. He had seen my gender, validated it and given me a nickname to proof the fact. The gender euphoria mixed with the fanboy fire, so I did what I do best in moments like that: I happy stim and shouted out my comfort sentence:
“ARE YOU!?”
“Are you!!!” Käärijä replied.
We repeated this interaction one more time. By then Käärijä he become Jere, lost in sweet memories if his change of tone was something to believe.
Then he changed subject to Ruisrock. My moment was over and now it was Bojan that on the Finn’s mind. I didn’t mind. Like Jere cannot help thinking and talking about his boy, I don’t think I will be normal about a moment like this for a long time.
Four days later my friend gave me a bracelet. Red and white with a heart in between its two words: Denmark Guy.
