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Tennessee legislature has approved a bill prohibiting marriage between first cousins.


The Republican-led Tennessee legislature has passed a bill that would ban marriage between first cousins, with a vote of 75-2 in the statehouse. This proposal, which is now heading to Republican Governor Bill Lee, received support from most lawmakers, with one vocal opponent, Republican representative Gino Bulso, arguing for an amendment that would allow first-cousin marriages if the couple seeks genetic counseling.

Bulso, who previously lightheartedly shared a personal story about his grandparents who were first cousins, raised concerns about married cousins having children with birth defects, but argued that this risk does not apply to gay couples. He claimed that banning same-sex cousins from marrying would go against the US Supreme Court’s gay marriage decision, which he criticized as being “grievously wrong”.

Ultimately, lawmakers rejected Bulso’s amendment and approved the ban proposed by Democratic representative Darren Jernigan. Jernigan explained that an 1820s Tennessee law restricting some marriages among relatives does not prevent first cousins from marrying, and emphasized that his bill does not violate the gay marriage ruling.

The bill’s passage signifies a closing of a loophole and a move towards clarifying the state’s laws on marriage between relatives. The controversy surrounding the debate highlights ongoing discussions around LGBTQ+ rights and marriage laws in Tennessee.

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Photo credit amp.theguardian.com

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