LGBT rights in the post-Soviet states

LGBT rights in the former Soviet Union
Former Soviet Union
Status	Legal (illegal for males in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)
Gender identity	Legal (except in Armenia, Russia and Turkmenistan)
Military	Legal in Armenia (varies), Belarus (varies), Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine (varies)
Discrimination protections	Legal in Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	In Estonia and Latvia Same-sex marriage legal in Estonia
Adoption	Legal in Estonia

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the post-Soviet states face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents.

In January 2016, same-sex couples in Estonia were given recognition in the form of cohabitation agreements that gave the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. In June 2023, Estonia became the first former Soviet state to legalize same-sex marriage and joint adoption for gay couples.

In June 2022, Latvia introduced similar cohabitation agreements (without marriage and adoption). In January 2019, the Supreme Court of Lithuania ruled that same-sex spouses must be granted residence permits, while cohabitation agreements are pending.