UN – States are not required to allow same-sex couples to marry

Sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill Louisa Wall is excited about a new report from the UN

Labour’s Rainbow Caucus Chair Louisa Wall says marriage equality is a step New Zealand can take to meet our obligations under a new report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Born Free and Equal” looks at sexual orientation and gender identity in international human rights law and sets out the source and scope of State obligations to protect the human rights LGBTO people. “This booklet follows on from the adoption by the Human Rights Council last year of the first resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and draws on almost twenty years of reports documenting widespread violations of human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,” Wall says. … “Marriage equality is a step that we, as a nation, can take to meet those obligations”

Small problem.

What does the document say about gay marriage?

Under International human rights laws, States are not required to allow same-sex couples to marry. (page 53)

Hilarious!

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