This is as ridiculous as saying something like, "Look up Scott Peterson" as to why non-consanguinamorous relationships are bad.
Most consanguinamorous relationships are between people like your neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and "ordinary" people you know. You know healthy, bright, attractive, friendly people whose parents are close genetic relatives, whether you know their true genetic parentage or not. They might not even know. Meanwhile, there are people who have inherited serious genetic diseases and their parents were not close genetic relatives.
It is also important to remember that "birth defects" can be caused by many things, including environment, abuse, substances ingested by parents, and other factors.
Two or more closely related individuals wanting to share sex, romance, a residence, or marriage is not the same thing as many generations of isolated inbreeding.
We have examples. For example, we can compare births in US states that have no criminal laws against consanguinamory to states with strict laws against consanguinamory. Spoiler: states that do not criminalize consanguinamory do not have a higher genetic disease rate than states that criminalize first cousins for having sex.
Instead of continuing the discriminate against lovers, we should be encouraging the use of modern science and technology to prevent, mitigate, and treat what is of concern.
It is also important to reject ableist bigotry that dehumanizes people with certain genetic conditions.
This blog does not encourage anyone to literally or figuratively isolate themselves from the rest of society and inbreed in perpetuity for generation after generation, so citing examples of that misses the point.
There simply is no good reason to deny
As always, feel free to comment below, which can be done anonymously.
I made the mistake of looking up Scott Peterson.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy that most of my friends and acquaintances are happy, healthy, loving people... Consanguinamorous or otherwise.
Criminalise hate. Celebrate love. ❤️
“A lie can travel around the world before the truth can get its pants on.” The myth of birth defects in consang relationships are the result of manipulation and lies to control people and make them believe if you have sex with your relative, you’ll run the risk of a child with birth defects. Genetically Testing today is easy, inexpensive, and not illegal.
DeleteThank you for this article, I've never understood the logic behind this argument against consanguinamory. Of course, bigotry isn't founded in logic, but regardless, this argument has always been so obviously flawed to me even before I learned more about this topic. Arguing that a relationship is wrong because of a slightly reduced chance that the couple could have a healthy child with each other is patently ridiculous and clearly bigoted, but so many people, even otherwise progressive people, parrot that argument because of how normalized bigotry against consanguinamory is.
ReplyDeleteWhen people mention possible birth defects, which is a rubbish argument against family relationships/sex, they assume the people want children. Some people just want sex.
ReplyDeleteThe birth defect argument only makes sense if you are choosing the best genetic partner to have kids with. What women is seriously saying “oh I’m fertile again, I must choose between the following candidates to carry their child”.
ReplyDeleteThe choice of inbreeding is almost always: do or don’t. Its have a child with them or don’t have a child. Bringing new life into the world with someone or simply not. That child will always be a dice-roll, as with any pregnancy.
I think of asking those inbred “would you rather not be born? Would you rather that had chosen not to give you life?”. Who would say yes to this? In which case who are you protecting from these exaggerated ill effects? I guarantee the hypothetical child will be happy at being given life by you either way.
Like most, it’s nothing more than society making us feel bad for no good reason.
If you want to inbreed, get inbred. Anything which brings forth new life can only be good.
I think with DNA testing and genealogy becoming a normal part of society people will be discovering that great-grandma and grandpa were cousins and things along those lines
ReplyDelete