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LGBT Rights in Estonia

    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, no restrictions
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal

Recent studies in Estonia show a discernible level of opposition to LGBTQ+ rights among the population.

Estonia Surveys

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

Orthodox Christian Support for Church's Position of Refusing to Perform Same-Sex Marriage

82%
Support
13%
Oppose

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

History

Homosexual activity in Estonia

?

Homosexual activity in Estonia is legal.

Current status
Since May 7, 1992
Legal
Homosexual activity is legal in Estonia as of it's independence.
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Jan 1, 1940
N/A
The parliament legalised gay relations in 1935, but since Germany occupied the land, it became illegal
Sources:
No Sources
Added by richardclemi  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Estonia

?

Same-sex marriage in Estonia is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2024
Legal
Estonia's parliament approved a law to legalise same-sex marriage, making it the first post-Soviet country to do so. The law will take effect on January 1, 2024.
Added by Azza21  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 2016–Jan 1, 2024
Civil unions
A civil partnership law was passed and took effect on January 1, 2016.
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Oct 8, 2014
Unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned
Marriage is not recognized.
Added by karikas  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Estonia

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Estonia is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Estonia, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Added by equaldex  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Estonia

?

Right to change legal gender in Estonia is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since May 7, 1999
Legal, no restrictions
The current law concerning legal gender recognition dates from 7 May 1999, the Common Requirements for Medical Operations for Gender Reassignment.

Transgender people are not required to undergo sex reassignment surgery since 1997, sterilisation or divorce their partner, due to the specific wording of the Family Law Act. From October 2021, neither genetic testing or hormone replacement therapy are mandatory to later change legal data.

First appointment with a medical expert committee is required to receive a ministerial decree authorizing hormone replacement therapy, followed by a second appointment with the same committee authorizing the change of legal data. Diagnosis from a psychiatrist before first committee appointment strongly recommended, committee bases its decision on this diagnosis as well as self-determination.
Sources:
Kalevi alt välja. LGBT+ inimeste lugusid 19. ja 20. sajandi Eestist (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti LGBT Ühing. ISBN 978-9916-4-1434-7.news.err.ee/1608422681/mini…
riigiteataja.ee/akt/91001
lgbt.ee/soo-tunnustamine
Added by _it4_  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Apr 24, 1997–May 7, 1999
Legal, no restrictions
Previous ministerial decree regulating legal gender recognition, the on the Establishment of Mandatory Processes for Gender Reassignment.

Transgender people were not required to undergo sex reassignment surgery, sterilisation or divorce their partner. Appointment with medical expert committee required.
Sources:
riigiteataja.ee/akt/91001
Kalevi alt välja. LGBT+ inimeste lugusid 19. ja 20. sajandi Eestist (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti LGBT Ühing. ISBN 978-9916-4-1434-7.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Apr 6, 1992–Apr 24, 1997
Legal, no restrictions
The first transgender person to change their legal gender in independent Estonia did so on 6 April 1992. This followed a decision by a medical expert committee convened to assess her case.

Her birth certificate was corrected on this date, this was viewed as a pre-requisite to any surgery, which would have otherwise been considered mutilation under the law. While gender-affirming surgery was later carried out, it was not a pre-requisite for legal gender recognition.

The state of affairs was not regulated by law, but others were known to have been given authorization by the same medical expert committee to change their legal data.

This was ended in around 1994, since the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of the Interior could not agree on whether surgery should be a pre-requisite for legal gender recognition. During that time, legal gender recognition was not possible.

This stand-off eventually resulted in the 1997 decree not requiring surgery for legal gender recognition, in exchange for the relevant minister signing off on every transgender person requesting such recognition.
Sources:
Kalevi alt välja. LGBT+ inimeste lugusid 19. ja 20. sajandi Eestist (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti LGBT Ühing. ISBN 978-9916-4-1434-7.
Added by Fandorine  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Estonia

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Estonia is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Non-binary gender is not legally recognized.
Added by Meelis  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Estonia

?

LGBT discrimination in Estonia is illegal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Illegal
Discrimination of people based on sexual orientation, race, sex, and others is illegal.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 2009–Jan 1, 2009
Illegal in some contexts
Although the Constitution prohibits any kind of discrimination (but this is difficult to enforce and unclear how applies), Equal Treatment Act only prohibits discrimination in employment.
Added by karikas  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Estonia

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Estonia is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Rejecting job applications due to sexual orientation, race, sex and others is illegal.
Sources:
humanrights.ee/wp-content/u…�isaruanne_ENG.pdf
Added by karikas  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Estonia

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Estonia is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Under Estonian law.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Estonia

?

Same-sex adoption in Estonia is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2024
Legal
Estonia's parliament approved a law to legalise same-sex marriage as well as joint adoption by same-sex couples. The law will take effect on January 1, 2024.
Added by Markissik  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 2017–Jan 1, 2024
Step-child adoption only
In February of 2017, a lesbian woman successfully adopted her partner’s child. Since then, many other same-sex couples adopted their partners child.

In 2020 a same-sex couple adopted a child.

Theoretically, infertile couples may be able to jointly adopt non-biological but it is unclear if this applies to same-sex couples.
Sources:
loc.gov/item/global-legal-m…~:text=(Registered%20Partnership%20Act%2C%20%C2%A7%C2%A7,before%20entering%20into%20a%20partnership.
Added by Guy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 2016–Sep 1, 2018
Single only
Legalization pending.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Feb 2017
Single only
Added by karikas  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Estonia

?

Serving openly in military in Estonia is legal.

Current status
Legal
Serving openly in the military is legal.
Sources:
equaldex.com
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Estonia

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Estonia is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 1, 2024
Legal
Since March 1st, 2024, there are no restrictions for MSMs donating blood.
Added by richardclemi  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Dec 2, 2021–Mar 1, 2024
Banned (3-month deferral)
Estonia has put in place a 4 month deferral period for MSMs in place of its life-time ban.
Added by karikas  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 2011–Dec 2, 2021
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Legalization pending.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Estonia

?

Conversion therapy in Estonia is not banned.

Current status
Since Sep 1, 2017
Not banned
Not criminalized in the country, but is not encouraged by any public services. Accessibility is very low due to high atheism.
Sources:
equaldex.com
Added by Ausyk  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until 2024
N/A
Not criminalized in the country and not encouraged by any services. Availability is nonexistent.
Added by richardclemi  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Estonia

?

Equal age of consent in Estonia is equal.

Current status
Since Jun 1, 2022
Equal
The age of consent of 16 years is equal for everyone.
Added by Samanthos  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 6, 2002–Jun 1, 2022
Equal
The age of consent of 14 years is equal for everyone.
Sources:
file:///Users/randhill/Downloads/Estonia_Penal%20Code_am2013_en.pdf
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log