A chara, – In dismissing Amnesty International’s well-founded concerns that gay and lesbian couples and their children are not protected by the Civil Partnership Bill, John Waters writes “it bears repeating that there is no ‘human right’ to be married” (“Gay lobby mangles meaning of marriage”, July 31st).
There is, however, an internationally recognised human right to choose to marry, enshrined in Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution . . . The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” – Is mise,
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