Child marriage is now banned in Michigan

[RandySF]

Michigan is the 10th state to ban what advocates for ending child marriage call “a human rights abuse” after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Tuesday to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 years old.

The ban is “long overdue,” Whitmer said in a news release Tuesday.

“Keeping Michiganders – especially young women – safe and healthy is a top priority,” Whitmer said. “As a county prosecutor, I went after those who used their power to prey on young people, and as governor, I am proud to sign legislation to sign these protections into law. Together, we can make Michigan a safe and welcoming place for everyone.”

According to data collected by Unchained at Last, a national nonprofit organization working to implement bans on child marriage in every state, more than 5,400 child marriages occurred in Michigan between 2000 and 2021, 95% of which were marriages between girls and older men.


https://michiganadvance.com/2023/07/11/child-marriage-is-now-banned-in-michigan/

[Tetrachloride]

1. Imagine that. 40 other states still have it

[RandySF]

7. Including California

That needs to change.

[Showbizkid]

11. Why?

Honestly, what’s the fear here?

[RandySF]

14. Numerous reports from women

who were pushed in marriage from very older men while they were monors. It's sick.

[Showbizkid]

16. I feel like we're burying the lede here

Michigan….forced marriages….

[Tree Lady]

2. Why is this not a federal law for all states?

Kids are not ready for the responsibility and then take away abortion...ugh!!

[Angleae]

4. 10th Amendment.

Age of marriage, and for that matter, age of consent, are state powers.

[Tree Lady]

8. And some states want us to be nothing

but barefoot and pregnant no matter the age....

[GreenWave]

3. Older men eh? Atavistic (Not mentioned)

Primitive men. In what voting group would we find these child molesters?

[Showbizkid]

5. I really need to see a definition and real numbers on that "older men" sentence

While I can think of extremely few circumstances where a 17-year old should be getting married, I don't love the idea of regulating the concept of adulthood even further.

[ITAL]

9. Sorta what I thought

My mom was a week shy of 18 when she married my dad (they'd dated in high school...when they exchanged vows she was a senior and he was at a college about half an hour away). They're still married 50 years later.

I mean, I suppose they could have waited, but they got married so they could honeymoon during Spring Break.

[Showbizkid]

10. He was technically older

I would also like to see national marriage statistics. I bet the man is older well over 50 percent of the time.

[ITAL]

13. Sure

I guess my point was, their situation wasn't a 17 year old marrying a 35 year old and it doesn't seem like either of them think it was a mistake.

[Blue Owl]

6. Not shaping up to be a good year for Republicans

[llmart]

12. This is what happens when you have Dems in power.

I absolutely agree with what our governor did. This is a protection for young women that is needed in all states. I'm shocked that there were 5,400 child marriages during that time frame though. I'm not shocked that 95% of them were with older men.

[Takket]

15. Good. About time.

This will prevent needless exploitation of people who are not experienced enough to make such decisions.