Estonia’s parliament on Tuesday, passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first country in central Europe to do so.
While same-sex marriage is already legal in
many Western European countries, it has been a contentious issue in the former
communist countries of central Europe. The bill received 55 votes out of 101 in
the parliament, supported by a coalition of liberal and social democratic
parties led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
Prime Minister Kallas expressed her belief
that promoting marriage and love is essential, even in the face of a
challenging fight. She highlighted Estonia’s progress since gaining
independence from Soviet occupation, emphasizing that the country now stands as
an equal among other nations.
The new law will take effect in 2024, and it
reflects changing attitudes in the largely secular Baltic nation. A recent poll
by the Centre for Human Rights showed that 53% of the population supports
same-sex marriage, a significant increase from just a decade ago when the
number was 34%.
However, there is still opposition to same-sex
marriage, with 38% of Estonians considering homosexuality unacceptable. The
ethnic-Russian minority, comprising a quarter of the population, largely
opposes same-sex marriage, with only 40% supporting it.
The LGBTQ+ community in Estonia often keeps
its identity discreet, and many individuals have faced recent incidents of
harassment. This move by the government is seen as an opportunity to capitalize
on the positive shift in public opinion towards same-sex marriage, especially
after the election results favored a coalition with the numbers to overcome
conservative opposition, as explained by Tomas Jermalavicius, Head of Studies
at the International Centre for Defence and Security.
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