| LGBT rights in Estonia | |
|---|---|
Location of Estonia (dark green)
– in Europe (light green & dark grey) |
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Legal since 1992, age of consent equalized in 2001 |
| Gender identity/expression | - |
| Recognition of relationships |
No recognition of same-sex couples |
| Adoption | No |
| Military service | Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation protection in employment (see below) |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Estonia may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in Estonia, but households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.
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Same-sex sexual activity, which was illegal in the Soviet Union, was legalised in Estonia in 1992. The age of consent is 14 years and was equalized for both homosexual and heterosexual sex in 2001.[1] Homosexuals are not banned from military service.
The government has started working on a law which would allow same-sex couples to register their partnerships.[2]
As an obligation for acceptance into the European Union, Estonia transposed an EU directive into its own laws banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment from 1 May 2004. The Equal Treatment Act, in discussion as of 2008, will prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in areas other than employment, such as health care, social security, education and the provision of goods and services.[3]
There are several gay clubs in Tallinn. Pride parades have been organised since 2004. Elsewhere in Estonia, however, the sparse population means there is no gay scene.
In June 2006, Dutch Ambassador to Estonia Hans Glaubitz requested he be transferred to the Dutch consulate in Montreal, Canada after ongoing homophobic and racial verbal abuse being hurled against his partner, an Afro-Cuban dancer named Raúl García Lao, by citizens in the capital of Tallinn. The incident made international headlines. A released statement by the Estonian authorities stated that they "regretted the incidents very much".[4]
From 6 June to 12 June 2011, Estonia hosted Baltic Pride, a festival to promote greater support and awareness for LGBT people. Key speakers at the event were include Riho Rahuoja, the Deputy Secretary General for Social Policy at the Ministry of Social Affairs; Christian Veske, the Chief Specialist in the Ministry's Gender Equality Department; Kari Käsper, Project Manager of the "Diversity Enriches" campaign from the Estonian Human Rights Centre; Hanna Kannelmäe from the Estonian Gay Youth NGO, British Ambassador to Estonia Peter Carter and British photographer Clare B. Dimyon, who exhibited "Proud of our Identity" at Tallinn's Solaris Centre on 31 March. "Proud of our Identity" comprises photographs of and by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people taken at various Pride events throughout Europe, including photographs of Estonian LGBT people.[5]
A Eurobarometer survey published on December 2006 showed that 21% of Estonians surveyed support same-sex marriage and 14% recognise same-sex couple's right to adopt (EU-wide average 44% and 33%).[6]
A poll conducted in June 2009 showed that 32% of Estonians believe that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights as opposite-sex couples. Support was 40% among young people, but only 6% among older people.[7]
| Homosexuality legal | (since 1992) |
| Equal age of consent | (since 2001) |
| Anti-discrimination laws | (in employment since 2004 and in other areas since 2008) |
| Same-sex marriage(s) | |
| Recognition of same-sex couples as registered partnerships | |
| Joint and step adoption by same-sex couples | |
| Gay men and women allowed to serve openly in the military | |
| Right to change legal gender | |
| MSMs allowed to donate blood |
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