- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Legal, but restricted for minors
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Recent surveys in Finland have revealed a mixed response towards LGBTQ+ rights and issues.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Perception of LGBTQ+ People
Survey results from 5 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Finland.
Overall
Perceived Safety**Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal Treatment
Visibility & Representation
Culture
Services
History
Homosexual activity in Finland is legal.
Current status
Since 1971
Same-sex marriage in Finland is legal.
Current status
Since Mar 1, 2017
Legal
After various referendums that asked the Finnish public on gay marriage, they finally cleared the last referendum in the 22nd of February, and gay marriage was finally allowed since this date.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Finland is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Finland, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Finland is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Apr 3, 2023
Legal, no restrictions
A new legislation lifted the former requirements for gender-affirming surgery and sterilization in order to legally change one’s gender.
Recognition will be available for adults upon written application after a mandatory 30-day "period of reflection".
Minors under the age of 18 are not allowed to change their gender status.
The new law comes in effect on April 3rd 2023.
Recognition will be available for adults upon written application after a mandatory 30-day "period of reflection".
Minors under the age of 18 are not allowed to change their gender status.
The new law comes in effect on April 3rd 2023.
Legal, but requires surgery
The authorities shall recognise a person as belonging to the opposite sex to that recorded on the population register, provided they:
• Provides a medical report testifying that they permanently experience being a member of the opposite sex and that they live in the gender roles of those and that they have been sterilized or are otherwise incapable of having children
• They are an adult
• They are not married or in a registered partnership; unless the spouse or partner gives their consent in which case a marriage become a registered partnership and a registered partnership becomes a marriage
• They are a Finnish citizen or is resident in Finland
• Provides a medical report testifying that they permanently experience being a member of the opposite sex and that they live in the gender roles of those and that they have been sterilized or are otherwise incapable of having children
• They are an adult
• They are not married or in a registered partnership; unless the spouse or partner gives their consent in which case a marriage become a registered partnership and a registered partnership becomes a marriage
• They are a Finnish citizen or is resident in Finland
Gender-affirming care in Finland is legal, but restricted for minors.
Current status
Since Jul 20, 2020
Legal, but restricted for minors
Starting in July, 2020 the Finnish Health Authority banned gender affirming surgeries for minors and started severely restricting any type of gender-affirming care for minors due to "the uncertainty of providing any irreversible “gender-affirming” interventions for those 25 and under, due to the lack of neurological maturity" among other reasons.
Legal
Before July 2020, minors and adults alike were allowed to access gender affirming care, including hormones and puberty blockers and surgery for adults.
Legal, but restricted for minors
In 1987, Finland adopted the ICD-9 classification, which included codes allowing for the diagnosis of transsexualism in adults.
Restricted
In 1970, Finland legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
Until 1970
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Finland is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Finland does not currently recognize non-binary identities.
LGBT discrimination in Finland is illegal.
Current status
Since Feb 1, 2004
Illegal
LGBTQ+ people from Finland are protected from all types of discrimination.
LGBT employment discrimination in Finland is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Feb 1, 2004
Sexual orientation and gender identity
LGBT housing discrimination in Finland is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Feb 1, 2004
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Intersex infant surgery in Finland is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
In June 2019, two of the legislative plans for the next four years released by the newly-elected Rinne Cabinet included a ban on surgery on intersex babies and the removal of compulsory sterilization for gender reassignment. However, his cabinet resigned before this legislation could be presented to parliament.
Serving openly in military in Finland is legal.
Current status
Legal
Blood donations by MSMs in Finland is legal.
Current status
Since Dec 4, 2023
Legal
Finland lifted the restrictions on MSMs donating blood on December 4th 2023.
"As a result of the change, deferral period practices related to sexual behaviour will be made consistent in blood donation and will be the same for everyone regardless of sex."
"As a result of the change, deferral period practices related to sexual behaviour will be made consistent in blood donation and will be the same for everyone regardless of sex."
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
Since May 3, 2021, the deferral period has been reduced to four months.
Banned (1-year deferral)
Before May 3, 2021, Finland had a one year deferral period.
Until May 11, 2014
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Conversion therapy in Finland is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy ban pending. Many of the general public have demanded and protested to ban it.
Equal age of consent in Finland is equal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1999
Equal
The age of consent of 16 years is equal for everyone.
LGBT Rights by Region
View the LGBT laws in each individual region of Finland.
- Pohjois-Savo
- Päijät-Häme
- Satakunta
- Uusimaa
- Varsinais-Suomi
- Åland (Autonomous Region)
Equality Rank
#49
Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?
Top Contributors
- Notdog1996 19 contributions
- vviet93 12 contributions
- sykke 6 contributions
- danlev 5 contributions
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Alternative names: Suomi (local name)