THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Campaigners for equal rights for homosexuals will launch an attempt to overturn England’s “discriminatory” marriage laws at the European Court of Human Rights today.
Eight British couples will argue that the twin bans on same-sex marriages and heterosexual civil partnerships are unlawful and should be reversed.
Over the last two months four homosexual couples have all been refused marriage licenses at register offices across England, while four heterosexual couples were turned away when they applied for civil partnership status.
The couples will file a joint application to the court today, which is the fifth anniversary of the first civil partnership ceremonies in England.
They will argue that the current ban on gay marriages is a breach of the Human Rights Act, specifically the right to respect for private and family life, the right to marry, and the prohibition of discrimination.
Peter Tatchell, the equality activist coordinating the “Equal Love” campaign, of which the couples are part, said bans on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships were “a form of sexual apartheid”.
“Outlawing black marriages would provoke uproar,” he said. “The prohibition on gay marriages should provoke similar outrage.” >>> Tim Ross, Social Affairs Editor | Tuesday, December 21, 2010
