Pauliina Lukinmaa
Pauliina is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Humanities, University of Eastern Finland. Her research focuses on the everyday practices and community-building efforts of LGBTIQ+ activists across various contexts, with an emphasis on transnational networks, cultural exchange, and identity formation. Pauliina’s ethnographic PhD research (2018–2022) examined the development of LGBTIQ+ activism in St. Petersburg during the late 2010s under an increasingly authoritarian regime. Her current project (2023–2026) explores the everyday practices, networks, and expressions of transnational solidarity among Russian-speaking LGBTIQ+ activists in the Baltic states, particularly in the wake of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine in 2022.
As of November 2025, Pauliina will begin working part-time and later transition to full-time on the “Menopausing: Exploring Diversity, Awareness, and Activism” project (2024–2028). Drawing on Queer and Cultural Studies, Pauliina investigates menopause activist communities and influencers in Finland who strive to advance gender and age equity both online and offline. Central to the project is the introduction of the term “menopausing,” which conceptualizes menopause as a dynamic and evolving process shaped by the interplay of lives, contexts, and language. Pauliina focuses on LGBTIQ+ individuals and their efforts to challenge traditional notions of biology and gender associated with menopause. She explores the transformative power of LGBTIQ+ menopause communities, examining how they create spaces for gender ambiguity and fluidity, encouraging a rethinking of identity, gender, and aging.