The Truth About Siblings

Are there siblings who have sex in real life, like the characters on Game of Thrones?

Yes.

Cersei Lannister and Jaime Lannister are fictional characters, but some real-life siblings do have sex. This has gone on for a long as there has been life, regardless of country or class or demographics. This is why the Lannisters have a lot of company in stories both ancient and new.

Abuse happens between siblings, but that's not our focus. Our focus is on consensual interaction, from youthful exploration and experimentation to spousal-style relationships formed in "the golden years," and everything between.



Unfortunately, sometimes sibling consanguinamory involves cheating, and often, when it does, it may be because of the extremely powerful draw of reunion Genetic Sexual Attraction suddenly happening in established lives or because of bigotry against consanguinamory, prompting siblings to marry other people but carry on in secret. There would be less cheating if we'd support relationship rights for all adults, including full marriage equality. Throughout history, there has also been cheating because of the pressure to have children; if it wasn't happening with the spouse, getting pregnant by a sibling was a safe way to have a child who didn't look like someone else's child. (Contrary to myth, most children born to consanguineous parents are healthy.)

In many cultures, past and present, an unmarried woman could live with her brother an not publicly run afoul of laws or customs as she would if she was living without an official marriage with an unrelated man. And, of course, same-sex siblings living together has also been acceptable in such places, which often have bigoted laws and customs against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, etc. Sometimes, when a "long-married" couple looks alike, it's because they're siblings, though legally-sanctioned marriage between siblings still isn't in place in most countries.

Some people find this difficult to believe, because they have no attraction to their siblings, or are turned off by the thought of their siblings as sexual beings. Most of such people are experiencing what is called the Westermarck Effect, which suppresses sexual attraction to people with whom one is raised, closely related or not. However, not everyone experiences the Westermarck Effect, at least not towards all with whom they were raised, and the Effect wouldn't have had a chance to exist between genetic siblings or half siblings who didn't spend much time around each other until after the onset of puberty. The further advantages of already knowing and loving each other, having an existing bond, trust, privacy, proximity, and convenience often fosters sibling revelry. In many situations, there is no good reason why they wouldn't get together, if it is what they wanted,

These relationships have always taken place and they always will, between full and half siblings (raised together or not), as well as stepsiblings and adoptive siblings. They range from limited interaction (mutual masturbation, for example) to intercourse, and from phases, one night stands, and flings to lifelong romances. They are common enough that you know someone who is, or has been involved, and not far from where you're reading this, there are siblings entwined in the throes of ecstasy right now. Very few of these relationships, fortunately, will be subjected to scrutiny by law enforcement even if they are being carried out where they're still criminalized, either because they're never explicitly outed, nobody rats them out, or local officers recognize that it is a waste of public resources to arrest and investigate people for loving each other how they mutually agree.

So... if you were curious, yes, these relationships do exist. If you're in one or want to be in one, you're not alone. And if you know of one, please be an ally and not a rat.

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