Break out the family tree and some tissues — Connecticut is officially breaking up the cousin lovefest. Starting this October, first-cousin marriages will no longer be legal in the state, making it the 26th in the U.S. to say, “Hey, maybe not that branch of the family.”
The new law, which sailed through the Democrat-dominated legislature with rare bipartisan agreement (finally, something everyone agrees is too weird), states plainly: “No person may knowingly marry such person’s first cousin.” Translation? Sorry, cousin Carl, it’s over.
State Rep. Devin Carney, a Republican from Old Saybrook, says he wasn’t responding to any cousin-marriage crisis sweeping his district — no cousin love triangles in the town square — but rather got inspired after reading about Tennessee’s recent ban. “I found out it wasn’t banned here, looked it up, and saw we were one of the last holdouts,” Carney said, presumably while updating his family reunion invite list.
Democratic Rep. Steve Stafstrom, who co-sponsored the bill, chimed in: “We realized we were kind of an outlier. Also, you know — science.” Indeed, science has long pointed out that first cousins having kids together increases the risk of birth defects, which is way less fun than awkward Thanksgiving dinners.
The law won’t undo any cousin marriages that happened legally before the ban. So if you’re already hitched to your cousin, you’re safe — legally, anyway. Socially? That’s between you and your family group chat.
Connecticut now joins New Hampshire as the only two New England states with a full ban on cousin marriages. Other regional states are more relaxed: Maine allows it if you’ve undergone genetic counseling or if you’re a same-sex couple, while the rest of New England seems to be cool with whatever, no questions asked.
Across the country, cousin-marriage laws are a real patchwork. Arizona, Illinois, and Indiana say it’s fine — but only if the couple is old or infertile. (Because apparently once romance dies, anything goes.) Minnesota makes exceptions for aboriginal customs, and in North Carolina, only double first cousins can legally marry — yes, that’s a real term, and no, it doesn’t make it less weird.
Back in the day — the way back — cousin marriages were totally normal. In fact, during the Civil War, all 34 states allowed them. Today, the number is down to about 16, and it’s dropping faster than a bad genealogy joke at a family barbecue.
So pour one out for the lovers who share both a bloodline and a bed. The Constitution may allow the pursuit of happiness — but in Connecticut, it now draws the line at marrying your cousin.