Cousins in love petition to be able to marry in Utah

On March 6th, ABC4 had an article about cousin marriage:

They are crossing two big hurdles to get married; the most obvious is genetics. According to researchers at Columbia University, first cousins share 12.5 percent of their DNA. First cousins who have children face a 4-7 percent chance of their child having a genetic disorder as opposed to a 3-4 percent chance for an average couple.

The second major hurdle is the law. In Utah, it’s illegal for first cousins to get married unless they are 65 years old, 55 if they can prove they are infertile.

But there is no such law in Colorado, so the two went there Monday to tie the knot.

I recommend two DNA tests for cousin couples: one for genealogy to confirm that they are actually related, and the second is a test for recessive genes that could passed on to your children.  I have done both types.  I had 3 recessive genes, but none of them seemed too serious.  I really wish they had sued for the right to marry.  If I was involved with a cousin, I'd want to sue.  There is a lot of historical justification for cousin marriage and I would love for the Supreme Court to address another case about whether the States can define marriage.  I think they made a huge mistake in the 2015 ruling and it would be nice to get back to the text of the Constitution.

UPDATE: On January 8, 2020, the New York Post had an article about this couple:

Michael Lee and Angela Peang can hardly wait for the birth of their first child — even if it results in them spending time behind bars.

The husband and wife from Eagle Mountain, Utah, are first cousins: Peang’s father is the older brother of Lee’s mother.

Since the baby’s existence proves they had sex, they could face up to $10,000 in fines and five years in prison, because intercourse between cousins is illegal in their home state, due to the long-held fear of birth defects.

Their petition now has 1,719 signatures.