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Estonia Is Officially the First Ex-Soviet State to Legalize Gay Marriage

It’s also the first country in central Europe to make the move.

Estonia made history on Tuesday as its parliament approved the legalization of gay marriage—the first former Soviet state to do so. The central European nation has forged closer ties with Western Europe through its membership of the EU and NATO after its August 1991 declaration of independence from the Kremlin. “My message [to central Europe] is that it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote,” Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Reuters following the historic vote. “We have developed a lot in those 30 years, since we have freed ourselves from the [Soviet] occupation. We are equals among same-value countries.” The law will take effect next year.