LGBTQ rights in Finland

LGBTQ rights in Finland
Location of Finland (dark green)

– in Europe (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (light green)  –  [Legend]

StatusLegal since 1971,
age of consent equalized in 1999
Gender identityTransgender individuals can change sex by self-determination since 2023
MilitaryLGBT people allowed to serve openly
Discrimination protectionsSexual orientation and gender identity protections
Family rights
Recognition of relationshipsSame-sex marriage since 2017
AdoptionFull adoption rights since 2017

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Finland are among the most advanced in the world.[1][2] Both male and female same-sex sexual activity have been legal in Finland since 1971 with "promotion" thereof decriminalized and the age of consent equalized in 1999. Homosexuality was declassified as an illness in 1981. Discrimination based on sexual orientation in areas such as employment, the provision of goods and services, etc., was criminalized in 1995 and discrimination based on gender identity in 2005.

Same-sex marriage and joint adoption by same-sex couples were approved by the Finnish Parliament in 2014, and the law took effect on 1 March 2017.[3] Previously, Finland had allowed registered partnerships between 2002 and 2017,[4] which gave same-sex couples the same rights as married couples except for adoption and a joint surname. Lesbian couples have been able to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) since 2007, and stepchild adoption became possible for same-sex couples in 2009. Transgender individuals who are residents of Finland and also over the age of 18 years old, can legally change sex on documents and forms (i.e. on a birth certificate) - by way of self-determination, effective from April 3, 2023, with enacted legislation passed and signed formally both by the Parliament and the President respectively.[5][6]

Finland is often referred to as one of the world's most LGBT-friendly countries and public acceptance of LGBT people and same-sex relationships is high. 2019 polling from the Eurobarometer showed that 80% of Finns believed gay, lesbian and bisexual people should enjoy the same rights as heterosexual people, and 76% supported same-sex marriage.[7]

  1. ^ "Rainbow Europe - Finland". ILGA-Europe. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  2. ^ "LGBTQ RIGHTS". Gay Travel Finland. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Same-sex marriage law goes into effect in Finland". Yle. 1 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Starting today, on March 1 (2017), same-sex marriage became legal in Finland. Same sex couples also gained the legal right to adopt children.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference SETAhistory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Finland: New gender recognition law 'a major step towards protecting trans rights'". Amnesty International. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Finland to allow gender reassignment without sterilisation". Reuters. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. ^ Eurobarometer on Discrimination 2019: The social acceptance of LGBTI people in the EU (PDF) (Report). European Commission. 23 September 2019. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.