# Married Cousins Hope To Change Utah Laws To Recognize Their Union



## Leeda.the.Paladin (Mar 6, 2019)

EAGLE MOUNTAIN, UT (KTVX/CNN) - A pair of first cousins in Utah is fighting for the right to get married in their home state, saying their love shouldn’t be limited just because their parents are siblings.

Michael and Angie Lee tied the knot Monday in Colorado after they say they’ve loved each other since childhood. But the couple isn’t legally married in their home state of Utah because they are cousins.

“As soon as we crossed over the state border, we're not married anymore,” Michael Lee said.

In Utah, it is illegal for first cousins to get married unless they are 65, or 55 if they can prove they are infertile.







Angie and Michael Lee, who are first cousins, tied the knot in Colorado after they were recently reunited after 10 years. They say they’ve loved each other since childhood. (Source: Family photos/KTVX/CNN)
The Lees say that law is antiquated, and there is no real basis for the restriction. They started a Care2 petition and are gathering signatures in hopes of changing it.

“No one I’ve ever been with will make me feel as perfect as she does, and her being my cousin and some of the responses is a small price to pay,” Michael Lee said. “I’ve always loved you, Angie. You know that.”

The couple says it all started with a crush in second grade.

“I remember I stopped her mother and said, ‘I'm going to marry Angie.’ And she said, ‘No, I'm sorry, you can't, but you can be friends,” Michael Lee said.

Angie Lee’s father is the oldest of 12 children, and Michael Lee’s mother is the fifth child in the same family. Over the years, family vacations would bring the Lees together, but they say social norms would always draw them apart again.

"This is something I've always felt very – life was unfair. Why did the person I want to be with the most and had the most attraction to and the most natural feelings for…? Why did you have to be my cousin?” Michael Lee said.
The Lees, both recently single, reunited in the winter after 10 years, and now, they say, they’re finally ready to disregard the risks.

"We're like, ‘OK, this is crazy, but we're adults now and we're single now. We're just going to go for it, and who cares what our family thinks?” Angie Lee said.

According to researchers at Columbia University, first cousins share 12.5 percent of their DNA. If the cousins have children, they would face a 4 to 7 percent chance of their child having a genetic disorder, as opposed to a 3 to 4 percent chance for the average couple.

“The genetic consequences, the biological consequences are very small. It's more what people might think and say,” Michael Lee said.

In the United States, 24 states ban marriage between first cousins, and in six others, it is only allowed under certain circumstances, according to Popular Science.


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## Kitamita (Mar 6, 2019)

Ok, I read the article and still can't get with it. First cousins - no, just no.  Maybe - big maybe - if they were like 3rd cousins and even then it'd be weird.

I get it that some cultures have cousin marriages i.e some Africain and Pakistan groups.
But when you have a whole wide world to choose from...


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## MizAvalon (Mar 6, 2019)

I thought it was legal to marry anyone as long as they aren't your parent or sibling? I guess in some states it's not.

When I went to fill out my marriage license one of the questions asked if we were related.


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## Kiowa (Mar 6, 2019)

My neighbors were married 1st cousins....both families dis owned them...both Anglo-Saxon...


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## dicapr (Mar 6, 2019)

MizAvalon said:


> I thought it was legal to marry anyone as long as they aren't your parent or sibling? I guess in some states it's not.
> 
> When I went to fill out my marriage license one of the questions asked if we were related.



No. I know in NC you can’t marry your 1st cousin. Just like in some states if you are raised as brother and sister before puberty you can’t get married even though you aren’t blood relatives. 

There are billions of people in the world. Why is it so necessary to marry a blood relative?  Just knowing someone is my cousin makes them instantly unattractive to me.


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## intellectualuva (Mar 6, 2019)




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## Gin&Tonic (Mar 6, 2019)

My first cousin looks more like me than my parents. If I didn't have proof, I would think that we are twins separated at birth.
So to me this is just taboo and obviously a form of incest.


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## Kitamita (Mar 6, 2019)

Gin&Tonic said:


> My first cousin looks more like me than my parents. If I didn't have proof, I would think that we are twins separated at birth.
> So to me, this is just taboo and obviously a form of incest.


Right... so close.  In my family, my grandfathers' brother married my grandmothers' sister - two brothers married two sisters -  so we look so much alike.    It would be gross.


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## Everything Zen (Mar 7, 2019)

I mean I guess if they were forced to get sterilized then maybe... 

I’m trying really hard here


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## RUBY (Mar 7, 2019)

They should just stay in Colorado. Ain't no need to be campaigning for this in Utah. Keep your shenanigans to yourself.


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## Shula (Mar 7, 2019)

I know a couple who are first cousins who had a family of all girls together, 5 or 6 total, and each child more beautiful until the last. The last daughter was born with so many handicaps, physical and mental, that she would need supervised care her entire life. She is wheelchair bound and can do nothing for herself. She is an adult now and the father is taking care of her, changing diapers and everything. The mother? Literally went full on insane after the birth of that baby. Like talking to yourself out loud, public ranting, neglecting personal hygiene and grooming, are you on drugs? crazy.  I used to feel so bad for her daughters with the public embarrassment her mental state and public behavior caused them. Most people said the guilt of having the last one in that condition pushed her over the edge.

And yeah, ewww to be with anyone I'm related to in any way.


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## firecracker (Mar 7, 2019)

What is this world coming too?  Those folks know darn well their kids have a good chance at being deformed and all kinds of messed up in the head.


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## okange76 (Mar 7, 2019)

In my African culture,  if you come from the same clan you cannot marry even if the common ancestor was from 1000 yrs ago.  It is ingrained in me even if I don't know you and have never met anyone in your family tree.  It's the first question families ask. Who are your people and from which clan?  It's also very important from a genetics standpoint. 

I won't lie. Some of the men in my clan are delicious but I  can only look but not touch. Unfortunately guys are guys. They will definitely sleep with you given the chance  but will never present you to their family for marriage.  As a woman it's in your best interest to look outside your clan.


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## sunnieb (Mar 7, 2019)

I don't agree.   Knowing I'm related to a guy automatically made him unattractive to me.  

I can remember going to stay with relatives in the summer.  Me and my girl cousins would always verify familial status of any cute boys in the area - just in case.   

My family has strong and long roots in Texas and Louisiana.  We weren't taking any chances on crushing on some boy who turned out to be a distant cousin.


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## sharifeh (Mar 7, 2019)

omg so many people I know married their first cousin its sooooooo common for Arabs. its definitely legal in NY lol


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## ajoke (Mar 7, 2019)

It’s common in Europe. Even the BRF allows first cousins to marry. 

I’m my african tradition, it’s an absolute no go. Not just talking about first cousins, but anyone who could even remotely be related to you. Like there aren’t enough people in the world to chose from?


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## danniegirl (Mar 7, 2019)

1st off I dont really agree but I read the article 

2nd it's not that easy to find a man these days lol

3rd I thought it would be like a 50 -70% chance the children would be born with deformities but only 4-7% the odds are still in there favor


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## intellectualuva (Mar 7, 2019)

danniegirl said:


> 1st off I dont really agree but I read the article
> 
> 2nd it's not that easy to find a man these days lol
> 
> 3rd I thought it would be like a 50 -70% chance the children would be born with deformities but only 4-7% the *odds are still in there favor*



I was surprised by their numbers too especially since the regular unrelated numbers are like 3-4%. Lol. It didnt seem that big of difference no matter how gross this is all to me.


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