Estonian ministry to develop LGBT+ equal opportunities action plan

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications on Tuesday held an event launching the development of a dedicated LGBT+ equal opportunities action plan, the objective of which is to move toward equal opportunities for LGBT+ people in multiple facets of life. Yet unclear, however, is whether the ministry's plans even involve any self-representation of Estonia's own LGBT+ community.
With the creation of this action plan, the state wants to strengthen the sense of security, the well-being and the equal treatment of LGBT+ people in Estonian society, Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo (Reform) said according to a press release.
"We want to create an Estonia where LGBT+ people can freely live their lives as they wish," Riisalo said. "LGBT+ people must feel cared for and safe in all aspects of life – at work and in leisure time, at school, at the doctor's office as well as in public. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case."
According to the Economic Affairs Ministry, statistics indicate that nearly 65 percent of people in Estonia are afraid to hold hands in public with a same-gender partner. Meanwhile, closer to 70 percent of LGBT+ students in school have experienced psychological abuse during the past school year, while a fourth of all people in Estonia would feel uncomfortable if their coworker was LGBT+.
LGBT+ people who have disclosed their identity within the healthcare system are twice as likely to experience negative treatment and discrimination, the ministry noted.

Despite these figures, Taavi Koppel, an adviser at the ministry's Department of Equal Opportunities and Gender Equality, says Estonia has nonetheless progressed toward a more equal society for LGBT+ people in recent decades.
"Marriage equality came into force in Estonia this year, and beginning in March, outdated and discriminatory restrictions were repealed on blood donation, for example," Koppel cited as examples.
The new action plan in development is intended to address equal opportunities for LGBT+ people in four focus areas: security, education, health and employment. According to the ministry, a special focus will be placed on trans individuals' well-being in particular.
"It is with this action plan that we will establish a plan for how to create a more equal and safer society for LGBT+ people in various aspects of life," the adviser added.

Self-representation of LGBT+ community unclear
Tuesday's launch event was attended by policymakers, academics, training instructors as well as representatives of professional networks, advocacy and local governments.
It is currently unclear, however, whether and to what extent Estonia's own LGBT+ community and its organizations themselves have been or will be involved in the development of the ministry action plan for LGBT+ people.
"Signe Riisalo visited Peemot Center last summer, and we spoke about how perhaps we could advise the [Ministry of Social Affairs] regarding LGBT+ issues in the future, and we asked about possible avenues for cooperation, but this was left hanging, and we've had no further contact with the ministry whatsoever," the director of the Tartu LGBT+ community center told ERR News Tuesday evening. "We were not extended an invitation for the establishment of this action plan, and are indeed hearing about it for the first time right now."
Despite being a relatively young organization, dating back to just fall 2022, team members at Peemot Center stressed that had anyone reached out to them, they would have gladly contributed to the cause.
"Not reaching out to us is of course understandable to an extent, as we operate primarily at the city of Tartu level and are a new organization – and our name doesn't directly refer to the LGBT+ community," the center director acknowledged. "At the same time, it's frustrating that an organization in daily contact with members of the community isn't contacted at all, and that action plans are being drawn up on some 'other' level."
Peemot Center coordinator Sasha Milyakin said it would nonetheless be good to involve members of the LGBT+ community itself in the development of the Estonian ministry's LGBT+ action plan.
"We're ready to help with this, as we work daily to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people," Milyakin said.
"We offer members of our community support at our center, organize mental health support groups as well as cooperate with teachers and other educators – and all without any sort of funding," they explained.
"If we had been issued an invitation, of course we would have very much wanted to be involved in the creation of this action plan," the center director underscored, "Because we are in direct contact with LGBT+ youth and we could have done a better job protecting their interests."
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the LGBT+ equal opportunities action plan is slated to be completed by the end of the year.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla