Does Montana Allow Kissing Cousins? The Answer Might Surprise You

Growing up in the South, I've heard all the jokes (cue the banjo music).  There seems to be a belief that when it comes to certain parts of the country, the Family Tree doesn't always branch out if you know what I mean.

It's true, there are certain southern states that allow for cousins to marry cousins, but it's not just the south where that's legal, in fact, there are several states that allow intimate relationships between kin.

There are 19 states that allow marriage between cousins, including many that allow for first-cousin marriages.

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States like Alaska, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Georgia, Tennesse, the Carolinas, and much of the North Eastern states allow for first-cousin marriage. While many other states don't allow marriage between cousins but don't have any laws against two cousins living together in an intimate relationship, including Montana.

Maybe you're thinking "Well, it's none of my business what people do" and I normally would agree with that. The Libertarian in me feels like, do what you want, as long as it doesn't affect me. However, should there be restrictions when it comes to reproducing? Science says that there are certain risk factors and children can often be born prone to different issues, including multiple birth defects.

We all know that here in Montana, folks (politicians) have lots of ideas on how others should live their lives and what is appropriate and what isn't, but I would think that most of them could get on the same page on this one, right?

Either way, the whole idea is creepy and I can honestly state that I've never had a cousin that I thought, "Wow, I could totally see myself with them."  By the way, if you have, I would suggest that you keep that to yourself.