Diversity in sexuality and gender are as old as humanity – signs of both can be found as far back as the dawn of civilization (and even further). Although in Estonia there is not a lot of evidence of such queer prehistory – at least as of yet –, this changes dramatically from the middle of the 19th century onwards, as can be seen in legal cases, medical studies and newspaper columns. The stories that unfold are, as elsewhere, generally not happy ones – persecution by the state, pathologization by doctors and ostracization from society form a familiar pattern. All, however, is not doom and gloom – strides were made both early and late as people fought against sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds to live as their authentic selves. Flashes of this can be seen in both the aforementioned sources – oppressive as they are – but also art, literature, correspondence and other avenues where queer people could more safely express themselves. These struggles have brought us a long way – this January marked the first anniversary of marriage equality going into effect in Estonia – but the fight is far from over as queer people seek to both preserve our rights against the rising tide of reaction and work towards full liberation.
