LGBT rights in Finland
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Finland are among the most advanced in the world. 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.
LGBT rights in Finland | |
|---|---|
Location of Finland (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) | |
| Status | Legal since 1971, age of consent equalized in 1999 |
| Gender identity | Transgender individuals can change sex by self-determination since 2023 |
| Military | LGBT people allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation and gender identity protections |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage since 2017 |
| Adoption | Full adoption rights since 2017 |
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. Previously, Finland had allowed registered partnerships between 2002 and 2017, 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.
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.