# marriage equality **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 4, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664 "2014-05-04T20:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crashley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Crashley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crashley)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/1 "2014-05-04T20:22:37Z")
Since the whole marriage equality debate started I have been wondering why siblings (whether it be brother/sister, brother/brother, sister/sister) are not allowed to marry. Two consenting adults should be allowed to marry whom ever they choose. In line with that, why shouldn’t they be allowed to have children? Yes I realize that there is an increased chance of birth defects but there is also that risk in women over 40. Women who also carry the recessive gene for breast cancer can have children (Agelina Jolie) ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/2 "2014-05-04T20:48:07Z")
> [@Crashley](#): > > I have been wondering why siblings (whether it be brother/sister, brother/brother, sister/sister) are not allowed to marry. Eww!! - that’s why. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/3 "2014-05-04T20:50:57Z")
Maybe brother, brother or sister, sister but brother sister does creep me out. Now creeping me out is no reason not to allow it, but I would have to vote no. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/4 "2014-05-04T20:57:53Z")
First off, I don’t think there’s a huge demand for it to be legalized like there is for gay marriage. This could be because siblings marrying is a huge taboo and those who would like to don’t say so, yes, but I also think that the desire to do so is pretty rare. In reality, there’s no particular “reason” for it apart from the fact that it’s a leftover from a more socially conservative time - but until the push to legalize it outweighs the ick factor, it’s not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/5 "2014-05-04T20:59:36Z")
Why two threads? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/6 "2014-05-04T21:01:47Z")
I have problem with it and doubt a ban would withstand constitutional scrutiny. I should add that I might feel differently if I had a sister. As others have said, there’s not a huge demand for it currently. ---
**Author:** ![Crashley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Crashley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crashley)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/7 "2014-05-04T21:04:32Z")
I’m not sure, maybe because I posted it first on general before I realized it was supposed to be on great debates. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/8 "2014-05-04T23:17:10Z")
> [@Crashley](#): > > I am truly curious. I’ll also make it clear that I am happily married to my husband who is of no relation to me. > [@bobot](#): > > Are you a boy? > As to why sis and bro can’t get married, You know, the real legal reason why… I don’t know. I can guess, but I don’t know. > I bet it’s similar to the alleged voter fraud problem: It’s not an issue because almost no one tries to do it. > Just my guess, I return you to the professionals… > [@Crashley](#): > > Since the whole marriage equality debate started I have been wondering why siblings (whether it be brother/sister, brother/brother, sister/sister) are not allowed to marry. Two consenting adults should be allowed to marry whom ever they choose. In line with that, why shouldn’t they be allowed to have children? Yes I realize that there is an increased chance of birth defects but there is also that risk in women over 40. Women who also carry the recessive gene for breast cancer can have children (Agelina Jolie) I feel that my “I don’t know” response is important enough to include in both of these threads. OP, what do you think about incestuous marriage? Or are you just asking questions? ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/9 "2014-05-05T00:03:57Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Eww!! - that’s why. > [@Lanzy](#): > > Maybe brother, brother or sister, sister but brother sister does creep me out. Now creeping me out is no reason not to allow it, but I would have to vote no. As proponents of gay marriage have pointed out about other arguments, the above comments could have just as easily been said about interracial marriage 60 years ago. If you’re going to go against historical precedent sufficiently to allow gay marriage, and redefine marriage into something other than what it has always been, then sibling marriage and polygamy MUST also be allowed, if you are going to be consistent. On the other hand, if you are going to let the “ick” factor be the guideline, then all bets are off. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/10 "2014-05-05T00:16:10Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > If you’re going to go against historical precedent sufficiently to allow gay marriage, and redefine marriage into something other than what it has always been, then sibling marriage and polygamy MUST also be allowed, if you are going to be consistent. I have no problem with them, either, though sibling marriage is kinda icky to me. No problem with polygamy at all, if the partners are willing and it’s not some creepy pedophilia thing. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/11 "2014-05-05T01:15:10Z")
I’m going to suggest that the reason it’s not also being considered is because almost literally nobody is asking for it for themselves. Now, I could be wrong on this: point me to the siblings who have sued for the right to marry one another, and I’ll re-evaluate. But the way our system works in general is that people advocate for rights that are being denied to them, and then other people either say, “that makes sense,” or “that doesn’t make sense,” and we proceed accordingly. If nobody is saying, “I personally want to marry my sibling,” this isn’t something we need to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Crashley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Crashley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crashley)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/12 "2014-05-05T01:34:46Z")
Actually it was a case in Europe that made me question this. I don’t remember all the details but it was a half brother and sister who shared the same father but didn’t know that fact. They had a child and when they decided to get married it came out that they shared the same father. They were not allowed to marry due to the law. I’m not sure of the outcome ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/13 "2014-05-05T03:36:47Z")
The incest taboo is a taboo for a reason. Inbreeding is genetically bad, and getting married is highly correlated to having kids together. Society has a vested interest in discouraging it. Also, an incest prohibition really is equitable over all society. Each person still has 99.999 etc percent of the population that they _can_ get married to, and no more than a handful that they can’t. It’s not like the situation with same-sex marriage, where the point was that the set of “people you are excluded from marrying” contained, for gay people, every single person they might ever WANT to marry. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/14 "2014-05-05T04:04:28Z")
It worked, for a while, with the royalty of Egypt, didn’t it? I guess if siblings could marry there’d be less Mother In Law issues. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/15 "2014-05-05T06:57:17Z")
But many states also ban first cousin marriage as well. One of the problems currently apparent in families of British Pakistanis is the habit of repeated cousin marriage increasing the number of hereditary illnesses and disabilities. A single brother sister pairing increase risk a certain amount, but generational cousin marriage does exactly the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/16 "2014-05-05T07:17:50Z")
I can fall in love with other women besides my sister. If I were gay, there would be no chance of me falling in love with a woman, I would only be capable of falling in love with another man. So therein lies a NEED for same sex marriages. There is no NEED to marry my sister as there are plenty of other women out there. Polygamy, is a different beast as it is not so much a moral issue as it is a litigious issue. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/17 "2014-05-05T07:28:20Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > The incest taboo is a taboo for a reason. Inbreeding is genetically bad, and getting married is highly correlated to having kids together. Society has a vested interest in discouraging it. > > Also, an incest prohibition really is equitable over all society. Each person still has 99.999 etc percent of the population that they _can_ get married to, and no more than a handful that they can’t. It’s not like the situation with same-sex marriage, where the point was that the set of “people you are excluded from marrying” contained, for gay people, every single person they might ever WANT to marry. Over time, sure, but if every, say, 15 generations a brother and sister want to get it on, it’s not going to be disastrous. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/18 "2014-05-05T10:21:48Z")
This from 2010: > [@](#): > > A brother and sister who had a child together are to break the law and marry later this month. > > They first spoke to the newspaper in May about their shock on discovering that they shared a father and were involved in an incestuous relationship, Daily Mail reported. > > And even though the couple – known as ‘James’ and ‘Maura’ – realise it is illegal for them to marry, they say they are still determined to spend the rest of their lives together and will break the law to do so. > [Step brother and sister to marry over child - News - World - Emirates24|7](http://www.emirates247.com/news/world/step-brother-and-sister-to-marry-over-child-2010-09-12-1.289757) That case happened because the couple were ignorant of their relationship, but discovered it after she got pregnant. We have no idea how many half siblings have married and had children without knowing - It is increasingly likely as AI becomes more common. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/19 "2014-05-05T11:31:54Z")
How about this - a marriage is a legal recognition of a relationship. Blood relatives can already name each other next-of-kin, etc. with little problem. So there is no reason for recognized blood relatives to need the additional contract of “marriage.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664/20 "2014-05-05T11:43:32Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I can fall in love with other women besides my sister. > If I were gay, there would be no chance of me falling in love with a woman, I would only be capable of falling in love with another man. So therein lies a NEED for same sex marriages. > There is no NEED to marry my sister as there are plenty of other women out there. I don’t think that argument stacks up very well - I mean, we could say the same to an interracial couple - ‘you can’t have that one - just pick a different one’ seems like unnecessary interference in personal choice and desire. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marriage-equality/687664.md?page=2)