National

On 15 June 1998, Finland's parliament lowered the age of consent for gay sex from 18 to 16, the legal age for straight sex, and repealed a law that prohibited promotion of homosexuality [R1.1].

National

In 2003, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Finnish parliament approved a bill that would make it unlawful in Finland to provide fertility treatment to single women or lesbian couples [R1.1].

Asylum

A relatively new addition to the list of provisions enshrined in the 1951 UN Convention that entitles a person to apply for refugee status, "sexual orientation" owes its inclusion to a growing understanding in a handful of countries that lesbians and gays constitute a distinct social group. This article has been invoked to grant asylum to lesbians and gay men in Finland [R1.1].

Finland is amongst several countries that have granted asylum to homosexuals who feared anti-gay persecution in their native lands [R1.2].

Immigration

In June 2005, it was reported that Finland was amongst at least 16 countries that recognized same-sex couples for immigration purposes [R2.1].

Courts & Tribunals

In October 2001, Finland's Supreme Court made a landmark ruling to award custody of two children to their deceased mother's female partner instead of their natural father [R1.1].

National

On 28 September 2001, the Finnish parliament approved a law allowing gay men and lesbians to officially register as couples and obtain some of the rights of married couples but at the time, not the right to adopt each other's children [R1.1].

See also: PARENTING: ADOPTION, FOSTERING below.

The law, came into effect 01 March 2002 [R1.2].

Previously:

In December 2000, the Finnish government proposed legalizing gay partnerships but said same-sex couples should not be allowed to adopt children or share a surname [R1.3].

In June 1999, Finnish Justice Minister Johannes Koskinen said he backed a proposal to allow homosexual couples to register their unions in the same way as married heterosexuals, paving the way for a change in the law [R1.4].

In March 1997, the Finnish Parliament's Law Committee began studying a registered-partnership measure [R1.5].

In May 1996, a bill to legalize gay registered partnerships (was introduced to) Parliament [R1.6].

In March 1996, four of the five parties in the Cabinet - the Social Democrats, Left Alliance, Greens and Swedish National Party - said they favour the passage of a Scandinavian-style registered partnership law that grants all the rights of marriage except access to church weddings, adoption, artificial insemination and in-vitro fertilisation [R1.7].

Cities & Towns

In March 2002, the city of Helsinki denied gay city employees who are in registered partnerships paid leave from the city for events such as weddings and funerals [R2.1].

Churches

In October 2003, the Evangelical Lutheran Church rejected the possibility that it might bless or sanction homosexual relationships. However, the church will continue to allow those registered in homosexual relationships to perform official duties for the church [R3.1].

In February 2002, months after Finnish lawmakers legalized same-sex partnerships, bishops of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church decided not to bless gay unions in church [R3.2].

National

On 20 June 2008, the government announced that the Finnish Red Cross policy of barring men who have sex with men from donating blood was lawful [R1.1].

In 1995, discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation is unlawful. In 2005, discrimination on the basis of "gender identity" was also made unlawful [R1.2].

Cities & Towns

In March 2002, the city of Helsinki reportedly denied gay city employees who are in registered partnerships paid leave from the city for events such as weddings and funerals [R2.1].

Courts & Tribunals

In February 2009, the Labour Protection Office in Finland ruled that the country's second-largest media group was guilty of unjust discrimination in the case of a gay woman who was dismissed as editor of a regional newspaper [R3.1].

In July 1998, a British man living in Finland won the nation's first anti-gay discrimination case under a 1995 law that bans bias based on sexual orientation [R3.2].

Churches

In October 2003, the Evangelical Lutheran Church decided to allow gays and lesbians to work within the church [R4.1].

National

In 2005, discrimination on the basis of "gender identity" was made unlawful [R1.1].

The law also recognises the "new" gender after Gender Reassignment treatment [R1.1].

National

On 20 June 2008, the government announced that the Finnish Red Cross policy of barring men who have sex with men from donating blood was lawful [R1.1].

National

In 1971, consensual sex between same-sex couples was decriminalised [R1.1].

National

In July 2010, Justice Minister Tuija Brax said work on legalising same-sex marriage and adoption by married same-sex couples had begun. The law should be in place by 2012 [R1.1].

Previously:

In April 2010, the governing majority was expected to implement a motion to be put forward at the next party congress in support of gender-neutral marriage and adoption [R1.2].

In September 2001, the Finnish parliament approved a law allowing gays to officially register as couples and obtain some of the rights of married couples but not the right to adopt each other's children [R1.3] .

The law, came into effect 01 March 2002 [R1.4].

National

Finland has compulsory military service but men may be excused on the grounds of homosexuality [R1.1].

National

In July 2010, Justice Minister Tuija Brax said work on legalising same-sex marriage and adoption by married same-sex couples had begun. The law should be in place by 2012 [R1.1].

Previously:

On 15 May 2009, the parliament voted to allow gay couples in registered partnerships to adopt the biological children of their partners [R1.2], effective in September [The Advocate: 20 July 09].

In September 2003, a working group of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health would allow "in-family adoptions" for registered same-sex couples. This would mean that one of the partners would be able to get parental rights to the biological child of the other partner [R1.3].

In the Autumn 2003, the government was giving consideration to allowing homosexual couples to adopt children within the family [R1.4].

On 28 September 2001, parliament approved a law allowing gay men and lesbians to register as couples and obtain some of the rights of married couples but not the right to adopt each other's children [R1.5].