GOP lawmaker says first-cousins should be allowed to marry because gays are

Tennessee State Rep. Gino Bulso (R)
Photo: Tennessee General Assembly

Far-right Republican Rep. Gino Bulso held up a bill in the Tennessee legislature on Thursday that would have outlawed first cousin marriage with a surprising argument: if gay first cousins can get married, why not straight ones?

“Is there a public health issue with a male marrying a male first cousin? Obviously, I think the answer is no,” Bulso said, as his fellow lawmakers looked on slack-jawed.

House Bill 2041 was sponsored by Rep. Darren Jernigan (D), who explained first-cousin marriage remains legal in Tennessee because of a 1960 decision by the Tennessee attorney general that marriage between first cousins doesn’t violate a statute prohibiting marriage between relatives.

“I’m hoping in 2024 we can close this loophole,” Jernigan said.

Bulso introduced an amendment to the bill that would have made an exception for cousin-couples if they…

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