In Louisiana's push for minimum marriage age, Conservatives fight for 15 years old

[underpants]

You need to reward the whole thing

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_920fdaf0-85a4-11e9-a334-bb5f784e01c1.html

The state currently has no age floor for getting married, and backers of the legislation said current law allowing child marriages leaves young girls vulnerable to human trafficking and cover-ups for rape.

“We want children to be born into wedlock if possible,” said Rep. Nancy Landry, R-Lafayette. “We’re discouraging that with this. If they’re both 16 or 15 and having a baby why wouldn’t we want them to get married?”

“A lot of 16-year-olds get pregnant,” added Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs. “Do you feel it’s better for them to not get married at all and for the child to be born illegitimately?”

Smith, D-Baton Rouge, said she was “in awe” of the opposition to the bill, especially because efforts to provide sex education in Louisiana have repeatedly failed. She pointed to instances of teenage girls being wedded to men in their 30s and 40s.

[Wounded Bear]

1. So, their defense of child marriage is actually discrimination?

The whole premise of "illegitimacy" is just another form of discrimination. Granted, it get a little complicated when it comes to inheritances, I guess, but social shaming due to it is true discrimination.

[procon]

2. These are 18th century views on morality mixed

with antiquated religious taboos, a large dose of misogyny and way too much deference to the dirty old geezers who oggle little girls and perpetuate unquestionable patriarchal authority.

If Louisiana had science based sex education and a better education system in general, free access to birth control, abortion services, women's equality and undenable, full citizenship rights with autonomy, an inclusive and effective social network, and a living wage then the religiously based stigma of a woman being pregnant "out of wedlock" and giving birth to an "illegitimate child", would no longer be an issue...yeah?

[MagickMuffin]

3. Legalized Pedophilia

Yeppers, that's what it screams to me!!!

[pat_k]

4. Louisiana appears to currently have no minimum or restrictions of any kind

Louisiana currently has no minimum age, and apparently has no legal restrictions at all (at least none are included in this table summarizing law in each state).

When there is no minimum, the traditional minimum common law marriageable age of 12 for girls and 14 for boys probably governs (but I'm not sure about that).

Tragically, give the current status, setting a minimum age of 15 appears to be a "step up."

In comparison, CA, another state with no statutory minimum, has a number of requirements that must be met to protect against coercion or abuse.

Summary of CA law:

"Since 1 January 2019 partners and the parents of minors will have to meet separately with court officials who can assess whether there is abuse or coercion. Minors also will have to wait at least 30 days before getting married, unless they’re 17 and a high school graduate or one of the partners is pregnant."

[Hekate]

5. Ah, so if you want that child bride, just get her preggers and it's all good. Pardon me if I think

...that reasoning leaves a few things out of the equation.

[ProudLib72]

6. I honestly think we may need to bring back the chastity belt in the southern states

40 year old man rapes a 15 year old girl, gets her pregnant, and the conservative fuckwads think it would be better for them to get married instead of the girl having an abortion and the man being locked up? Yeah, fuck that shit!

[Hekate]

8. As long as said belt goes only on the men

Right?

[ProudLib72]

9. Unfortunately, no

If you google "chastity belt for men" you will find that they only exist for S&M role play. See, a man must voluntarily give up control of his body, which means he doesn't really give up control at all.

I did find some modern occurrences in wikipedia:

In 1981, while California State Senator John G. Schmitz was leading hearings on outlawing abortion, Gloria Allred presented him with a chastity belt. Schmitz retaliated in a press release, calling her a "slick butch lawyeress." She sued him for libel, and eventually secured a settlement of $20,000 and an apology.

On February 6, 2004, USA Today reported that at Athens airport in Greece, a woman's steel chastity belt had triggered a security alarm at the metal detector. The woman explained that her husband had forced her to wear the device to prevent an extramarital affair while she was on vacation in Greece. She was allowed to continue her flight to London on the pilot's authority. The incident was said to have happened just before Christmas in 2003.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chastity_belt

I like the first one.

[Hekate]

10. I was being pretty sarcastic. They're medieval and an abomination.

[ProudLib72]

11. I know you were, Hekate

As was I with my original post. But my God, these laws they are passing are, themselves, medieval and abominations!

[kskiska]

7. Well, now that abortion and birth control won't be available

they might as well just make it all nice and legal and get the kids married off.