Ex-Soviet State Estonia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

TALLINN, ESTONIA — (01-02-24) — Estonia has become the first ex-Soviet state to legalize same-sex marriage.The amendment to Estonia’s Family Law, passed in June, took effect on January 1, 2024. Applications are expected to take between one to six months to process, with the first approvals expected to be approved by February 2.

Estonia’s parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage back in June of 2023, as an amendment to the country’s Family Law. The measure passed 55 to 34, with LGBTQ advocates crediting the country’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for the victory for LGBTQ rights.

“It’s an important moment that shows Estonia is a part of Northern Europe,” Baltic Pride project manager Keio Soomelt told The Guardian on Monday. Including Estonia, 15 of the EU’s 27 member countries now recognize same-sex marriage.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Estonia following the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

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