Estonia’s parliament has approved a law that will legalise same-sex marriage, making it the first central European country to do so.

The bill received 55 votes in the 101-seat parliament and will take effect in January 2024.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Reuters that “it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote” in central Europe.

“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.”

An opinion poll conducted in 2023 found that 53 per cent of Estonians are in favour of same-sex marriage, a number that was at just 34 per cent a decade ago.

Approximately 75 per cent also support anti-discrimination laws that protect LGBTQ+ people, while more than seven in 10 (71 per cent) showed their support for civil partnerships.

READ MORE: Estonia set to become first ex-Soviet state to back same-sex marriage

A total of 85 amendments will be made to the country’s Family Law Act and other legislation, which will see the words “man and woman” replaced with “two natural persons”.

https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/estonia-votes-to-legalise-same-sex-marriage

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The Estonian Network of People Living with HIV is pleased to announce that during the main event Baltic Pride parade, there will be an opportunity to undergo rapid HIV testing from 15:00 to 17:00.

Rapid HIV tests are a reliable and effective way to determine the presence of the virus in the body. They provide quick results, eliminating the need for long waiting times. Our specialists will be available to conduct tests, answer questions related to HIV, and provide consultations on other health matters. The testing and consultation services we offer are confidential.

Additionally, you can receive free condoms, lubricants, and informational materials. Don’t forget to visit https://ehpv.ee/lgbtiq/?lang=en as well as the booth of the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV with support of National Institute for Health Development.

On 31 May 2023, WHO and public health champions around the world will come together to celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). This year’s theme is “Grow food, not tobacco”. The 2023 global campaign aims to raise awareness about alternative crop production and marketing opportunities for tobacco farmers and encourage them to grow sustainable, nutritious crops. It will also aim to expose the tobacco industry’s efforts to interfere with attempts to substitute tobacco growing with sustainable crops, thereby contributing to the global food crisis.

Tobacco growing and production exacerbates food insecurity

The growing food crisis is driven by conflicts and wars, climatic shocks, and the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Structural causes like the choice of crop also have an impact, and a look into tobacco growing reveals how it contributes to increased food insecurity:

• Across the globe around 3.5 million hectares of land are converted for tobacco growing each year. Growing tobacco also contributes to deforestation of 200 000 hectares a year.
• Tobacco growing is resource intensive and requires heavy use of pesticides and fertilizers, which contribute to soil degradation.
• Land used for growing tobacco then has a lower capacity for growing other crops, such as food, since tobacco depletes soil fertility.
• Compared with other agricultural activities such as maize growing and even livestock grazing, tobacco farming has a far more destructive impact on ecosystems as tobacco farmlands are more prone to desertification.

Any profits to be gained from tobacco as a cash crop may not offset the damage done to sustainable food production in low- and middle-income countries. Against this background, there is an urgent need to take legal measures to reduce tobacco growing and help farmers to move into the production of alternative food crops.

Supporting the creation of alternative livelihoods

The tobacco industry often touts itself as an advocate for the livelihood of tobacco farmers. This is a far cry from the truth. The intensive handling of insecticides and toxic chemicals during the cultivation of tobacco contributes to many farmers and their families suffering from ill health. Further, unfair contractual arrangements with tobacco companies keep farmers impoverished, and the child labour that is often woven into tobacco cultivation interferes with the right to education and is a violation of human rights.

The 2023 WNTD campaign calls on governments and policy-makers to step up legislation, develop suitable policies and strategies, and enable market conditions for tobacco farmers to shift to growing food crops that would provide them and their families with a better life. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control offers specific principles and policy options on the promotion of economically viable alternatives for tobacco workers, growers and individual sellers (outlined in Article 17), and on enhancing protection of the environment and the health of people (Article 18). The implementation of these provisions should be strengthened in countries.

https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/events/item/2023/05/31/default-calendar/world-no-tobacco-day-2023–we-need-food–not-tobacco

Today, 17 May, marks the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT) is an occasion that reminds us how violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, nonbinary and other identities (LGBT+) have adverse effects on health. Homophobia and transphobia are manifested in inequalities ranging from structural to those experienced by individuals. The hostile situation in dozens of countries towards LGBT+ people exposes them to social vulnerability, leading to health problems. Specifically, in virtually all parts of the world, including places with generalized epidemics, HIV prevalence is highest among men who have sex with men and transgender women. There are numerous economic injustices related to homophobia and transphobia and their effects on job accessibility. This shows that the vulnerability of people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities is closely related to sexual health problems.
Structural homophobia and transphobia are responsible for the lack of positive representation in media, the lack of diverse content in sexuality education provided in schools, the lack of sensitization of health personnel to provide friendly services to LGBT+ people, and the criminalization of same-sex sexual practices and gender expressions that disrupt traditional sex roles. At the individual level, homophobia and transphobia are expressed within the family, school and work environments. The resulting mental health effects can be associated with increased suicidal ideation, stress and anxiety, as well as internalized homophobia and transphobia, leading to increased vulnerability to HIV, sexually transmitted infections and substance abuse. The current increase in sexualized drug use—or chemsex—among gay and bisexual men worldwide also contributes to increases in HIV and other infections, such as hepatitis C. Problematic drug use may be associated with experiences of discrimination and violence related to the rejection of their sexual orientation. In the case of transgender people, particularly transgender women, the educational, economic and social precariousness derived from transphobia places them at exceptionally high risk of contracting HIV [13] and experiencing multiple other difficulties, such as substance abuse and lack of access to health services, including those related to mental health and gender-affirming treatments.
The recent Mpox outbreak reminded us that stigma and discrimination exist even in the most LGBT+-inclusive countries, and that affected communities can make a positive difference in collectively responding to health issues that impact them. Gay and bisexual men rapidly mobilized to face this new challenge, just as was done 40 years ago to respond to HIV in the face of slow government action and indifference [15].

The problem is that communities cannot mobilize if criminalized and persecuted. Nor can they do so if they do not have the resources to have a place to live or to feed themselves. This is why breaking down structural and individual barriers that prevent LGBT+ people from organizing and defending their rights is necessary. Every step backwards in human rights will be a step back in the response against HIV.