Behold Finland's latest round of postal stamps, and let's just say quite a few fall into the "not suitable for work" category.
The stamps feature depictions of everyday life in Finland; some houses; a Christmas reindeer; oh, and then these homoerotic scenes heavy on the male nudity. The artwork comes from a gay Finnish artist known as Tom of Finland. (Via Itella Posti Oy)
His unapologetic and often explicit artwork was said to have influenced figures such as Freddie Mercury and the Village People. Laaksonen produced some 3,500 drawings before he died in 1991. (Via Museum of Contemporary Art)
The graphic artist who designed the stamps described the collection as portraying "a sensual life force and being proud of oneself." (Via Itella Posti Oy)
Just last week, the U.S. Postal Service announced it will showcase its own gay pride stamp featuring LGBT icon Harvey Milk. As PolicyMic notes, this was a decision years in the making. (Via Wikimedia Commons / Daniel Nicoletta)
But in Finland the choice was relatively easy. One person involved in the making of the stamps told a local newspaper: "Of course, the choice was discussed, but we wanted to live in the year 2014." (Via Helsingin Sanomat)
Although progressive bloggers praised the bold stamp choice, it’s worth noting gay marriage still isn't legal in Finland, unlike several of its European neighbors. (Via Voice of America)
Leaving Slate's Mark Joseph Stern to write: "Personally, I’d take marriage equality and reproductive freedom over gay bondage stamps. But if gay Finns can only get half a loaf, I guess this isn’t a terrible half to have."
