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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Efforts to ban child marriage in California stalled by the... ACLU?

30 replies

AstonUniversityPotholeDepartment · 04/06/2024 20:55

The state of California is one of four states in the US without any minimum age threshold for marriage.

The proposed law would introduce an minimum age of 18, but it's been stalled after the California branch of the ACLU and the California branch of Planned Parenthood argued against it.

I'm dumbfounded.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/24/opinion-california-enables-abusive-child-marriage-but-bay-area-lawmaker-blocks-reform-effort/

Opinion: California enables abusive child marriage, but Bay Area lawmaker blocks reform effort

Actress and #MeToo leader Alyssa Milano calls out state’s outdated law that can lead to ‘Kafkaesque nightmare’ for minors

https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/24/opinion-california-enables-abusive-child-marriage-but-bay-area-lawmaker-blocks-reform-effort

OP posts:
NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/06/2024 09:57

Tying marriage, contraception and abortion together is a category error.

Allowing child marriage is explicitly endorsing underage sex (and all sorts of other exploitation). It does not protect children.

Allowing, and even promoting, contraception and abortion can happen alongside opposing underage sex - but with mitigation of some of the consequences if it does happen. These do protect children.

Waitingfordoggo · 05/06/2024 17:08

Spot-on @NoBinturongsHereMate. It’s a weird logic. ‘Well, because some 13 year-olds have sex (even though it is not what is best for them) that means all 13 year-olds should be able to get married’. 🤔

OvaHere · 05/06/2024 23:02

I wish I was shocked by this. These groups have been insane for some time.

TempestTost · 05/06/2024 23:41

NoBinturongsHereMate · 05/06/2024 09:57

Tying marriage, contraception and abortion together is a category error.

Allowing child marriage is explicitly endorsing underage sex (and all sorts of other exploitation). It does not protect children.

Allowing, and even promoting, contraception and abortion can happen alongside opposing underage sex - but with mitigation of some of the consequences if it does happen. These do protect children.

Edited

I don't think that's very convincing. Do you really think that allowing minors to access contraception isn't endorsing underage sex? It goes beyond that though, it is concretely abetting it. And without even any input from parents. The person prescribing is actually doing so without any way of knowing what the child's situation is.

But I think the more important point legally is around the idea of consent.

On the one hand, a child is too young, or too likely to be exploited, to be able to understand the consequences of sexual activity.

On the other hand, the child is mature enough to be able to undertake the decision to take drugs or use devices in order to allow sexual activity while reducing the risk of biological consequences. Which by the way always includes the real possibility of pregnancy.

They are inherently tied together because the concrete reference for both is having sex.

It's worth noting too, that one of the groups opposing this, and really I think the more important one because they are actually involved on the ground, is Planned Parenthood. We all know that they pass out puberty blockers and hormones with no questions asked. Exactly the same way they treat contraception and abortion for minors. I know personally one young person who as a teen in an abusive relationship had abortions through PP four times, and I am sure that is not a unique case. No one asked a damn thing about her situation.

I think a lot of feminist are very blind to the problem here - but clearly PLanned Parenthood is not. They don't want anyone asking too many questions about the ability of minor teens to consent.

NoBinturongsHereMate · 06/06/2024 00:17

I said 'can' not 'inevitably'.

Questions should be asked. Offering services provides an opportunity to ask them, and offer education.

It's been shown that abstinence-only education doesn't work, so given that some teens will end up having sex it's important to mitigate the consequences as much as possible. Abortion and contraception do offer mitigations; marriage does not.

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