Only days before Christmas Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs called upon a public debate over same-sex relationships. Leading LGBT organizations and supportive NGOs crabbed the opportunity and on Januart 4-th, 5 NGOs issued a public letter to the relevant institutions asking to stop discrimination of LGBT people and to initiate a partnership law that would be accessible for both same-sex and heterosexual couples. Also, to allow Estonian citizens to enter into same-sex partnerships or marriages in countries in which such reglementations exist. At this moment, Estonia is not giving LGBT people any rights and is at the same time stopping them to acess these rights in other European countries that are far more developed.

Since January 4-th the debate has been rather one-sided which sends out an impression that Estonian government and relevant institutions are not even taking interest in the topic, regardless the fact that the society is showing its growing homophobia and the rights of same-sex families clearly need to be legalized.
As of today, first official answers have arrived.

Mr. Väino Linde, Chief of Commission of Constitution, stated that "he is glad to see the conservative views in the Parliament and in the Commission of Constitution" and hence the decision of the commission being: there is no need to create a separate law for same-sex families since through several laws and agreements the rights of same-sex couples can be protected. This statement is strongly untrue when it comes to comparing these laws to the family law. Mr. Linde even stated that he personally "is glad to see the conservative views amongst the parliament and public".

Many leading politicians have stated that Estonian society is not yet ready for same-sex marriages. Leading gay activists have commented that they are willing to compromise when it comes to marriages and would be very delighted to see a Partnership Law instead. Out of 6 parliament parties, the only one to show its public support so far is the Social Democratic Party which is in oposition at the current Parliament. Right-conservative Isamaaliit (Pro Patria Union), Res Publica and centrists Rahvaliit (Peoples Union) have stated their negative opinion, Keskerakond (Centre Party) and Reformierakond (Reform Party) have expressed their modest tolerance but have not issued any official statements yet.

Leading gay activists of Estonia, Lisette Kampus of Diversity and Ardi Ravalepik of Estonian Gay League are expressing their strongest disappointment that at the time when the rest of the Europe is showing its growing tolerance and concern about same-sex families and children that grow in such families, Estonian politicians and public figures are still at the level of comparing homosexuality to a disease or a "problem" and are doing absolutely nothing to show gay families that they are just as equal as any other family that shares a safe home, humanistic values, loving and appreciating surroundings. Lisette Kampus and Ardi Ravalepik also state that by using such demagogic sentences as "Estonia is not yet ready" and "rights of homosexuals are regulated by the existing law", the politicians and institutions are saying to the society that it is okay not to accept same-sex families because the state doesn't accept them either. "All we are asking from our country is to acknowledge the existance of same-sex families by creating a Partnership Law which would regulate the rights and obligations of partners. And all our country is saying is that "we are not ready". In this case, I would like to ask, what is stopping them to be ready when the concerned social group is clearly saying that they are ready?", says Lisette Kampus. Ardi Ravalepik continues: "It seems that the politicians are reading these few hundred homophobic comments under articles about the topic and hide behind them, but on the other hand, there are approximately 60000 homosexuals in Estonia, not even to mention the intelligent people that are above the commentators in yellow newspapers, and none seems to ask their opinion!". Kampus and Ravalepik also state that they had a belief that Estonia is willing to belong to Scandinavia rather than Eastern-Europe where such discriminative policies are practised. As the recent past shows, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are once again regaining their unity, but it is extremely sad that this unity has such an anti-European shade.

In a democratic state of European Union such discrimination as
- not acknowledging same-sex families as alternative form of family
- not allowing citizens to enter into civil unions or marriages in other countries where it is possible
- not providing same-sex couples such a legal protection as Partnership Law
is fully unacceptable and we call upon any organization/person to send in their letters of protest against such discriminative politics of Estonia, one of the three Baltic States.

All letters are to be sent to the following adresses:
Mr. Jaak Aab, Minister of Social Affairs - Jaak.Aab@sm.ee
Mr. Rein Lang, Minister of Justice - rein.lang@just.ee
Mr. Allar Jõks, Chancellor of Justice - info@oiguskantsler.ee
Ms. Ene Ergma, Speaker of Riigikogu (parliament) - ene.ergma@riigikogu.ee
Commission of Constitution - pohiseaduskom@riigikogu.ee
Commission of Social Affairs - sotsiaalkom@riigikogu.ee
Center Party in the Parliament - keskfr@riigikogu.ee
Reform Party in the Parliament - reformfr@riigikogu.ee
Social Democratic Party in the Parliament - sotsiaaldemokraadid@riigikogu.ee