We celebrate the success of loving, supportive relationships between consenting adults. We believe that the common prejudice against cousin relationships and marriages is wrong. We undertake lobbying efforts and make public representations to further this viewpoint. We support and applaud those with the strength of character and depth of commitment to overcome resistance and pursue happiness with the partner of their choice. We view the freedom of choice of romantic or life partner as a basic human right.
As an organization dealing with relationships between people related by blood, we are often viewed as condoning or promoting incest. This is absolutely untrue. We believe incest to be an exploitative and intimate violation of person and trust between adult or older family members and children placed in their care. For a more detailed discussion of incest please refer to the on-line article from Dr. Pat McClendon. We believe that this current and evolving view of incest is supported in part by the legal systems of most western jurisdictions. As it happens, the Canadian Criminal code is accessible in its entirety on the WWW, and defines incest as sexual relations between siblings, their parents or grandparents.
In addition to our condemnation of incest, we also view any abuse or sexual acts with children as abhorrent, whether or not they are blood relations. As a result, it is our firm policy in all on-line discussion groups, message boards and correspondence to express our disapproval and recommend immediate abandonment of any relationship that we believe maybe construed as abusive, exploitive, harassment or assault, whenever such content is within our editorial control. It is also our policy and our legal obligation under the law of many jurisdictions to report any indication or evidence of child abuse to law enforcement agencies. We will not hesitate in this obligation, and believe firmly in the correctness of such a law.
Alternatively, we believe that sexual relations between consenting adults is no one’s business but their own. We believe that the government has no place in the bedroom. In recent years changes in the laws of many jurisdictions have been made to reflect this view. It is the opinion of our society at large. We believe this progression towards individual freedoms is the correct and noble direction for our society to take. We believe that education is the key to eradicate societies long held myths and prohibitions against cousin relationships. At one time the populace believed that the world was flat. The “Flat World Society” still exists, if only in the minds of the ones who resist current, factual information.
We believe in the right to freely express opinions, and claim it for this publication. Unfortunately, we are aware that the potential for reprisal, condemnation, embarrassment or abuse of people sharing their experiences and opinions on these pages is a real and genuine threat. We believe that threat justifies maintaining our contributors anonymity. As such, the facts reported or opinions represented at cousincouples.org will be accurate to the best of our ability to verify them, and we will protect our sources identities at their request.
The legality of cousin marriage varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Those interested in cousin marriage would be well advised to research the issue with their family lawyer. cousincouples.org does not condone lawlessness and cautions readers to be aware of the laws of their jurisdiction. We also maintain the opinion that a breach of a law prohibiting first cousin marriages is a victimless crime and that such a law is a violation of basic human rights.
At cousincouples.org we do not provide legal advice. We do not provide marital or psychological counseling. Opinions expressed in our discussion groups and correspondence are not necessarily ours – that is the nature of discussion. We welcome you to read and enjoy some of the compelling, wonderful and sometimes tragic stories that friends have left on our site. Tell us your own cousin relationship story. If you have a romantic relationship with your cousin, please take our survey. We’d like to better understand ourselves and our common experiences.
Please enjoy your stay at cousincouples.org and feel free to participate in our message board discussion groups, chat sessions or Q & A correspondence.
Editors,
www.cousincouples.org
