Estonia passed a new law that legalizes same-sex marriage, becoming the first central European country to do so amid a slew of opposition to the LGBTQ+ community in various countries worldwide.
The decision made by the country's parliament comes as the majority of Western Europe legally allows same-sex marriage. However, Central European countries are different as they were once under communist rule and members of the Moscow-led Warsaw Pact alliance but have now become NATO members under the European Union.
Estonia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
In a statement, 46-year-old Annely Lepamaa, a lesbian, said that the new law has made her feel like she is finally accepted for who she is. She added that until now, she needed to fight for everything she wanted, such as going to court to adopt her children.
The bill was supported by 55 votes in the 101-seat parliament, which came from the coalition of liberal and social democratic parties. These parties were the ones that Prime Minister Kaja Kallas assembled after her strong victory in the 2023 election, as per MSN.
Kallas said that her message to Central Europe was that marriage and love need to be promoted despite it being a difficult fight. The prime minister added that the region has developed in the last three decades since being freed from Soviet occupation.
The new law that legalizes same-sex marriage will take effect starting in 2024. A poll by the Centre for Human Rights showed that 53% of the roughly 1.3 million people in the largely secular Baltic country supported same-sex marriage. This number comes after a decade since it was found to be 34%.
Despite the new law, 38% of Estonians still share the same view that homosexuality is unacceptable in human society. The ethnic-Russian minority opposes same-sex marriage, as they make up roughly a quarter of the country. Only about 40% of this group supports same-sex marriage.
The Estonian government said that gay people in the region had been forced to be discreet about their identity. Authorities added that half of them have experienced harassment in recent times, according to Reuters.
Overcoming Conservative Opposition
In a statement, the Head of Studies at the International Centre for Defense and Security, Tomas Jermalavicius, said that the new law's passage is a good opportunity for the Estonian government. He said this is because public opinion on same-sex marriage has recently become positive.
Furthermore, Jermalavicius said that support for same-sex marriage was enough after this year's election to overcome the conservative opposition. Kallas argued that everyone has the right to marry the person they are in love with and want to commit to.
The prime minister noted that the new law's passage allows Estonia to take one step forward in joining other Nordic countries and other democratic countries that have supported marriage equality.
Kallas added that the decision did not take away anything from anyone but still gave something important to many people who needed it. She said that it proves that the region's society is caring and respectful towards each other, said CNN.
