Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    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
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Recent studies in Estonia show a discernible level of opposition to LGBTQ+ rights among the population.

Attitudes towards LGBT topics in Estonia

of Estonians consider homosexuality completely or somewhat acceptable
of Estonians support marriage equality

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

Support for same-sex marriage

(Eesti Inim, 2023)
53%
Support same-sex marriage
71%
Support civil unions

Acceptability of homosexuality

Consider homosexuality acceptable
Consider homosexuality completely or somewhat unacceptable

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

Support for Marriage Equality

of Estonians support marriage equality

Perception of LGBTQ+ People

Survey results from 7 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Estonia.

Overall

Overall

Perceived Safety*

Feel safe being open
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment

Treatment by peers
Treatment by family
Treatment at work
Treatment at school
Treatment by general public
Treatment by businesses
Treatment by law enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation

Inclusion in education
Representation in entertainment
Representation in news
Political support
Out public figures

Culture

Pride/events
Nightlife
Dating life
Interest groups and clubs

Services

Health and wellness
Gender-affirming care
Support and social services
Advocacy and legal

History

Homosexual activity in Estonia

?

Homosexual activity in Estonia is legal.

Current status
Since May 7, 1992
Legal
Homosexual activity has been legal in Estonia since its independence from the USSR.
Jan 1, 1940–May 7, 1992
Male illegal, female legal
Same-sex sexual activity between males in Soviet Estonia was illegal and punishable under paragraph 118 of the penal code

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 went into effect on January 1, 2024.
Jan 1, 2016–Jan 1, 2024
Civil unions (limited rights)
A civil partnership law was passed and took effect on January 1, 2016, however the laws for the implementation of civil unions were never passed, leaving same sex couples with limited rights.
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Jul 1, 2010–Jan 1, 2016
Banned
§ 1 (1) A marriage is contracted between a man and a woman.
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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.
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Right to change legal gender in Estonia

?

Right to change legal gender in Estonia is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.

Current status
Since May 7, 1999
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
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
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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.
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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.
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Gender-affirming care in Estonia

?

Gender-affirming care in Estonia is legal.

Current status
Since Feb 2022
Legal
The regulation adopted in 1999 is now obsolete, but no new regulation has been adopted. As a result, the current practice of gender recognition and the provision of medical services in relation to gender transition no longer corresponds to the Regulation. For example, genetic testing is no longer required. The Commission, which started its work in February 2022, has confirmed that the determination of chromosomal sex by a geneticist is not medically justified, that compulsory genetic testing is unethical and that this requirement has been abandoned.
Sources:
Translated from lgbt.ee/soo-tunnustamine
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1997–Feb 2022
Legal
In 1997, Estonia adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
Legal, but restricted for minors
In 1983, transsexualism began to be professionally diagnosed in the Soviet Union, which allowed the prescription of hormone therapy.
Sources:
russiapost.info/society/lgbt
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Restricted
In 1926, the Soviet Union's Ministry of Internal Affairs legalized sex reassignment surgery
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Jan 2017–Jan 1, 2024
Second parent 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.
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Jul 1, 2010–Jan 1, 2017
Single only
§ 148. (1) "A single person may adopt a child only alone."
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Intersex infant surgery in Estonia

?

Intersex infant surgery in Estonia is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There is not a ban on intersex infant surgery in Estonia.
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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
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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.
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Jan 1, 2022–Mar 1, 2024
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
Estonia has put in place a 4 month deferral period for MSMs in place of its life-time ban.
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Jan 1, 2018–Jan 1, 2022
Banned (1-year deferral)
The indefinite deferral was changed to 12 months.
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Mar 19, 1999–Jan 1, 2018
Banned (indefinite deferral)
The Northern Estonia Blood Centre did not initially allow MSM persons to donate blood.
Sources:
riigiteataja.ee/akt/22859
The initial law indicates the start of the Northern Estonia Blood Centre.
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Conversion therapy in Estonia

?

Conversion therapy in Estonia is not banned.

Current status
Since Sep 1, 2002
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not criminalized in the country, and is not encouraged by any public services.
Sources:
riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/5…
No law mentioning conversion therapy in the penal code
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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.
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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
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