Jan 2, 2024 at 6:44 AM Update: 2 hours ago
In Estonia, people of the same sex will be allowed to marry from this year. The country is the first former Soviet country to legalize marriage for same-sex partners.
Estonia’s parliament voted in favor of marriage equality in June. A majority of 55 MPs voted in favor of the change in law while 34 MPs voted against the bill. As a result, since January 1, men have been allowed to marry men and women can marry women.
Same-sex couples can register their marriage applications online from New Year’s Day. The first applications will be processed and certified on February 2. Processing of applications usually takes one to six months.
Civil partnerships and cohabiting partners have been legally recognized in Estonia since 2013.
“A meaningful moment that shows that Estonia is part of Northern Europe,” says Keio Soomelt, the project manager of the Baltic Pride festival.
“For the LGBTIQ+ community, it is a very important message from the government that we are finally as equal as other couples. And that we are valuable and entitled to the same services and opportunities.” Soomelt is marrying a man this year.
Receive notifications for news about the LGBTQ+ community. Stay informed with notifications
In other Baltic states, homosexual people have fewer rights
Since February, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has led the country’s most progressive coalition government. The image of marriage for same-sex partners has changed in recent years in the largely non-religious country of 1.3 million people. A survey by the Estonian Human Rights Center last year found that 53 percent of residents supported marriage for same-sex partners. Ten years ago that was 34 percent.
In the other Baltic states, same-sex couples have fewer rights. In Latvia, a bill was previously approved to allow registered partnerships between people of the same sex. That proposal was frozen due to opposition from the opposition. In Lithuania, marriages or partnerships between homosexual couples are not legalized.
Beeld: Getty Images
Read more about:
EstoniaGood newsLGBTIQ+Foreign
2024-01-02 05:44:01
#Estonia #people #sex #allowed #marry #year #Good #news
