Lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender , and queer LGBTQ rights in Estonia have advanced significantly over the course of the last few decades, especially since the turn of the 21st century. Both male and female forms of same-sex sexual activity are legal in Estonia , with the age of consent having been equalized in Transgender people have been allowed to change their legal gender since Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited in employment, discrimination on the basis of gender identity is implicitly prohibited by law in all areas.
Since 1 January , same-sex couples may register their relationship as a cohabitation agreement, which gives them the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. A marriage equality bill was passed on 20 June , which made same-sex couples able to marry and jointly adopt.
The law took effect on 1 January Estonia was relatively liberal and open during the first period of independence from the s to the s. It came into force in In , Estonia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany in , and ultimately re-occupied in by the Soviets.
In Soviet-occupied Estonia, same-sex sexual activity between males was a criminal offense under paragraph of the penal code. At least 67 court cases and men convicted under the law are known.
This makes Estonia one of the few countries to have legalised same-sex sexual activity twice. In , the age of consent was set at 14 years and equalized for both homosexual and heterosexual sex.
