Estonia Becomes the First Central European Nation to Legalize Same-sex Marriage
Via NBC News
Summary
Estonia's parliament voted 55 to 34 on June 20, 2023, to legalize same-sex marriage, making Estonia the first Central European country — and the first former Soviet republic — to do so. The legislation amended the Family Law Act to allow marriage between any two adults regardless of sex, and also granted same-sex couples full adoption rights. The law took effect on January 1, 2024.
The vote reflected a significant shift in Estonian society: polls showed 53 percent of the population supported same-sex marriage at the time of passage. The milestone was seen as a meaningful departure from the broader pattern in Central and Eastern Europe, where same-sex marriage remains illegal across most countries that were once part of the Soviet bloc.
