GOP Lawmaker Wanted to Allow First Cousins to Marry

[applegrove]

GOP Lawmaker Wanted to Allow First Cousins to Marry

April 11, 2024 at 1:43 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2024/04/11/gop-lawmaker-wanted-to-allow-first-cousins-to-marry/

"SNIP..........

The Tennessee House passed a bill on Thursday that would make it illegal to marry your first cousin in Tennessee, WSMV reports.

But it only did so after state Rep. Gino Bulso (R), whose grandparents he said were first cousins, rose to object to the law.

.........SNIP"

[Tetrachloride]

1. Game it out.

Leaving aside problems in offspring, there’s plenty of reason to not allow first cousins to marry.

[obamanut2012]

12. Except there aren't issues with offspring

[Blue Owl]

2. So these inbred GOP cousin fuckers wanna make health care choices for others?

I don't think so....

[Omnipresent]

3. Sounds like more material for Jeff Foxworthy's..

‘You might be a redneck’ jokes.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

6. If you've married 3 times and have the same In-laws.

I remember that.

[Omnipresent]

18. Good one!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. Marriage between first cousins is legal in five states.

[applegrove]

5. Yikes.

[obamanut2012]

11. Why is it "Yikes"?

It really is not an issue. It is legal in twenty states anyway. They can drive over to NC and get married anyway.

[applegrove]

13. Shocked and grossed out.

People also ask

What does Yikes mean in slang?

Yikes is an interjection of surprise, alarm, or concern and is often used to respond to an awkward remark. A more emphatic version of the slang expression yikes is big yikes.
https://www.mmguardian.com › yi...
YIKES Meaning: Definition, Use Cases By Teens, Examples - MMGuardian

[petronius]

7. According to wiki (FWIW), it's actually 19 states (minus 1 now) - and maybe not the states

people would guess.

Personally, I agree with the Republican fellow here (icky as that feels) - it should be legal for those that want it. I think this lawyer's blog made good points: culture (maybe impact on immigration?), personal freedom to marry, and minimal genetic concerns...

https://www.jlegal.org/blog/is-it-legal-to-marry-your-cousin-in-california/

[obamanut2012]

9. Yup, I feel the same way

[obamanut2012]

10. 20 states

[MineralMan]

14. More states than that.

It's about half of the states.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/graphics/cousins_042505.html?noredirect=on

[obamanut2012]

8. There is nothing wrong with first cousins marrying -- it is legal in about half the states anyway

It is only an issue if a raft of first cousins keep doing it over and over through the years.

It's legal in my home state. I worked with someone who met their first cousin as an adult and they married, had kids, etc. Not an issue.

[MineralMan]

15. This comes up once in a while.

In 20 states, first cousin marriage is completely legal. In six, there are some restrictions. Most people have no idea what the laws are. All states must accept those marriages, even if their own state says it's illegal.

I know a couple of first cousin married couples. They seem just fine.

[myohmy2]

16. I'm worried...

"Multiple studies have established consanguinity as a high cause for birth defects and abnormalities. A risk of autosomal recessive disorders increases in offspring coming from consanguineous marriages due to the increased likelihood of receiving recessive genes from cognate parents.[2] According to population based case-control studies, a higher risk of stillbirth is associated with consanguineous marriages.[12]

Inbreeding is associated with decreased cognitive abilities in children.[11]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consanguine_marriage#:~:text=Though%20it%20may%20involve%20incest,copies%20their%20offspring%20may%20receive.

...how will Tennessee children have their cognitive abilities decreased without it?

...

[Sogo]

17. I have second cousins who, as first cousins to each other, had to go to Tennessee many years ago to get married.

They are both passed on now, but had beautiful children and grandchildren.

Still, one is playing with the odds to marry that close in relation....