About 300,000 children and teens were legally married in the United States between 2000 and 2018, according to data from Unchained at Last, a nonprofit that works to help women and girls in forced marriages.

Laws prohibiting minors to marry have struggled to pass. Only 10 states have a law prohibiting people under 18 from marrying.

Pushback to setting 18 as a minimum age for marriage comes from both conservative and progressive groups.

  • tacosanonymous@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    The use of the term “progressive” here is infuriating. No one who actually wants progress is okay with kids getting married.

    • jeffw@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Surprised you’re the first to bring that up (and that I didn’t get more downvotes on the post). I don’t think many progressives are out here defending child marriage, although as another commenter shared on this thread in their personal story, there are rare occasions where it may have an upside. The groups named in the story aren’t usually ones you’d think of as aiding and abetting child abuse.

    • Reptorian@lemmy.zip
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      1 year ago

      Can confirm. And in support of changing age of consent when it comes to sexual matters to 21. I’m also against huge age gaps regardless of whether the people are adults or not.

    • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      No true Scotsman fallacy, with a massive number of upvotes. No attempt to address the argument, just empty and thoughtless virtue signaling.

    • kleenbhole@lemy.lol
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      1 year ago

      Ehhhh, I’m less worried about the social effect of kids getting married at 16 or arranged marriage at 14 than I am 25 year olds using dating apps to get triple digit body counts, or the proliferation of strange kinks like furries

        • kleenbhole@lemy.lol
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          1 year ago

          I don’t really see the behavior these days as progress, and I think you could use a dose of cultural relativism when it comes to things like teen or arranged marriage. Sex isnt inherently violating. Your modern western ideology isn’t automatically progress, if anything it’s a return to pagan pre Christian sexual mores. I fully support sexual freedom but I also think its current form is inherently unhealthy. I say bring back heteronormativity.

            • kleenbhole@lemy.lol
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              1 year ago

              You find underage sex revolting, and I find furries revolting. I think both should be allowed.

              • tacosanonymous@lemm.ee
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                1 year ago

                You’re doing it again. You’re not allowed to presume my stance and attack it.

                Kids exploring their sexuality with each other is fine. Adults exploring kids is not okay. Full fucking stop.

                • kleenbhole@lemy.lol
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                  1 year ago

                  I think like everything pedophilia is a spectrum. Big difference between a clandestine serial predator like a priest, and a young teacher fucking a high school senior. I’m only against it if it doesn’t make my weiner move.