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Estonia becomes first central European country to allow same-sex marriage
On Tuesday, Estonia’s parliament passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in central Europe to do so. While same-sex marriage
On Tuesday, Estonia’s parliament passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in central Europe to do so. While same-sex marriage is already legal in many Western European countries, it has been a contentious issue in the former communist countries of central Europe. The bill received 55 votes out of 101 in the parliament, supported by a coalition of liberal and social democratic parties led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
Prime Minister Kallas expressed her belief that promoting marriage and love is essential, even in the face of a challenging fight. She highlighted Estonia’s progress since gaining independence from Soviet occupation, emphasizing that the country now stands as an equal among other nations.
The new law will take effect in 2024, and it reflects changing attitudes in the largely secular Baltic nation. A recent poll by the Centre for Human Rights showed that 53% of the population supports same-sex marriage, a significant increase from just a decade ago when the number was 34%. However, there is still opposition to same-sex marriage, with 38% of Estonians considering homosexuality unacceptable. The ethnic-Russian minority, comprising a quarter of the population, largely opposes same-sex marriage, with only 40% supporting it.
The LGBTQ+ community in Estonia often keeps its identity discreet, and many individuals have faced recent incidents of harassment. This move by the government is seen as an opportunity to capitalize on the positive shift in public opinion towards same-sex marriage, especially after the election results favored a coalition with the numbers to overcome conservative opposition, as explained by Tomas Jermalavicius, Head of Studies at the International Centre for Defence and Security.