Estonia’s parliament approves same-sex marriage

On Tuesday in Estonia — one of three Baltic nations once occupied by the Soviet Union — Parliament approved legislation to legalize same-sex marriage.

It’s the first central European country to do so. It is a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has invoked the West’s “moral degeneracy” as one justification for his war against Ukraine.

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The program was only available to men.

“It’s like the state is finally accepting me,” Annely Lepamaa, 46, told Reuters. “Until now, I needed to fight for everything. I had to go to court to adopt my own children, which is like, why? Now, I’m a human with rights.”

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Lepamaa and her partner, Eeva Koplimets, 36, said they’re trading their unofficial partnership for marriage.

“Yeah, we are switching!” exclaimed Koplimets after the vote.

The bill was approved by a coalition of liberal and social democratic parties, 55 to 101, following Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’ strong finish with the Reform Party in parliamentary elections in March.

Speaking of her central European neighbors, Kallas, 46, said after the vote, “My message is that it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote.”

“We have developed a lot in those 30 years, since we have freed ourselves from the occupation,” added Kallas. “We are equals among same-value countries.”

Estonia was annexed by the Soviets in 1944 and reestablished independence in 1991, following the “Singing Revolution.” A quarter of the population is ethnic Russians.

In 2004, Estonia joined both the European Union and NATO.

Since then, support for same-sex marriage has steadily grown in the Baltic nation of 1.3 million people, with 53% of the population expressing support in a 2023 poll by the Center for Human Rights, vs. 34% ten years ago.

“This was a good opportunity for the government, because the public opinion on same-sex marriage has turned to positive,” said Tomas Jermalavicius, Head of Studies at the International Centre for Defense and Security. “After this year’s election it has the numbers to overcome the conservative opposition.”

38% of Estonians still consider homosexuality unacceptable, while same-sex marriage is opposed by 60% of the ethnic-Russian minority. 

Neighboring Latvia and Lithuania, also annexed by the Soviet Union and now EU and NATO members, have same-sex partnership bills under consideration.