Would it irk you? Do you consider this "best mate" to =be= family?
No. He's not family. Nothing will change that.

Well then, your comparison to some gay couples is flawed. There are gay
couples that are like "boyfriend/girlfriend"; they are not family to
each other. They're dating. Those are not the ones seeking visitation
rights for themselves. However, there are other gay couples that have
committed themselves to each other for life. =They= are family to each
other. =They= are the ones that want their ssspouse to be able to visit
them.

That's far more akin to your wife being denied visitation rights because
she is not a blood relative. I bet that would irk you.

Jose
--
"Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where
it keeps its brain." (chapter 10 of book 3 - Harry Potter).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.