Monica and Caleb Come Out

We have blogged about this case before and told you how to help.

Now, Ryan Parry has featured Monica and Caleb, brought together by GSA, in a dailymail.co.uk article with pictures and video. While other consanguineous lovers protect themselves by staying closeted, these lovers are speaking up to challenge unjust laws. Will more come out?

A mother and son whose forbidden love affair could land them each a lengthy jail sentence have declared they are 'madly in love' and nothing will tear them apart.

Monica Mares, 36, and her son Caleb Peterson, 19, face up to 18 months in prison if found guilty of incest at a trial later this year in New Mexico.

Prison... for being consenting adults who love each other. It really doesn't matter how many people find this disgusting or shocking. The basic question is, should consenting adults be denied their fundamental right to be together?

Socially, she is not his mother. She birthed him at age 16 and he was adopted by others. She did not raise him.

Mares said: 'He is the love of my life and I don't want to lose him.My kids love him, my whole family does. Nothing can come between us not courts, or jail, nothing.

'I have to be with him. When I get out of prison I will move out of Clovis to a state that allows us to be together.'

Incest is a crime in all 50 states, but the specifics of the laws and punishment vary greatly from state to state.

Actually, no, they could be together without breaking the laws of New Jersey or Rhode Island, and many countries.

The couple who currently live separately in Clovis, New Mexico - and are banned from having any contact with each other by the courts - first embarked on their love affair towards the end of last year.

Denied their freedom association. Why? They're not harming anyone. There is no good reason to keep them apart.

At first the couple lived happily together in Mares' mobile home with her two youngest children Uriah and Joseph – keeping their relationship a secret from the world.

Mares' youngest son even began calling Peterson 'dad'.

But police soon found out about the clandestine affair during a call over a row between the family and some neighbors.

This is why the laws need to be reformed. It shouldn't have mattered what the neighbors had to say about consenting adults.

The couple was charged with incest – a fourth-degree felony in New Mexico - following the February 25th incident.

Our laws and law enforcement resources should be directed at fighting assault and molestation, not sex between adults.

Currently Mares is not allowed to see any of her children or have any contact at all with Peterson.

If anyone is harming anyone, it is the authorities who are denying her access to her children for no good reason.

Peterson claims it was him who made the first move not his mom.

He recalls: 'We were hanging out just talking and I looked at her and she looked at me and I kissed her.

He made the first move. She did not force herself on him. She did not groom him. They are consenting adults.

'Honestly I never thought we would get into trouble for our relationship. We were both consenting adults - when it comes down to it.

It's ridiculous that they'd be denied their rights.

As well as legal trouble, the couple has met opposition from friends, neighbors, family members and the wider community.

Mares has been attacked outside her home and subjected to death threats.

This is outrageous! The authorities shouldn't waste any resources on keeping lovers apart, but should go after such haters.

Despite the immense opposition to the couple's relationship, Mares and Peterson do have supporters in the community - including Dayton Chavez, Mares' ex and father to two of her sons Moses, nine, and Joseph, 12.

He said: 'I've told them I still love you guys either way. I support them.

'I would like to see the government get out of their business and let them live a normal life - let them live how they want to live.

'It would be different if it was a domestic violence situation but it's not.

'My point of view is they need to be allowed to live just how they are that's what America is built on.'

It's good that there are some people who are compassionate and reasonable.

The couple - who both have roots with Native American Apache tribes - is also being supported by Cristina Shy who runs www.lilysgardener.com, a support and advocacy website for related couples, also known as consanguinamorous people.

Yay, Christina!

But Prosecutor Andrea Reeb, District Attorney for the Ninth Judicial District in New Mexico, doesn't agree.

She says incest is against the law and carries a maximum 18 month jail term and/or a $5,000 fine. 

It's a stupid law, and it is unconstitutional based on precedent.

'It's the law so our office is bound to uphold the law so we are pursuing it.'

She has discretion. She doesn't have the pursue this. Unfortunately, it will probably take a case like this for the matter to be taken up by higher courts and for the laws to be overturned. An adult, regardless of genders, sexual orientation, race, or religion, should be free to share love, sex, residence, and marriage (and any of those without the others) with any and all consenting adults, without fear of prosecution, bullying, or discrimination.

See the whole article, the pictures, and video here. Thanks to all involved in getting this story told.


UPDATE: Here's Jane's take. UPDATE: Pay for Caleb's defense.