Gov Gavin Newsom called it a "long overdue measure to protect young Californians".

California has officially banned child marriage, with Governor Gavin Newsom signing legislation to end the practice that is still legal in 32 US states.

The new law, which will come into effect on 1 January, states people must be 18 to get married in the Golden State.

Newsom called it a “long overdue measure to protect young Californians and minors”. He signed the bill into law with Courtney Stodden, whose parents allowed her to marry a 50-year-old Hollywood actor when she was just 16.

  • yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    191·
    5 days ago

    Children’s freedom to marry? How oxymoronic. Might as well argue for selling yourself into slavery as a “pathway to emancipation.”

    Or that kids should be able to sell their own organs as a “path to financial independence.”

    • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
      414·
      5 days ago

      What is oxymoronic about a child’s freedom to marry? An oxymoron is two ideas that are contradictory expressed together. Which two words from those 3 are contradictory? I guess I can see an argument for freedom and marry if you are super anti-marriage.

      Also, do you think all marriages involving underage people are sex slavery situations?

      • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
        14·
        5 days ago

        I think any kind of legally binding commitment for kids is at best problematic, even before bringing marriage and sex into the question.

        And I think the whole emancipation angle (especially when talking about marriage as a path to emancipation, that just sounds coercive from the get go) is more of a sign of how our society at large fails kids stuck in situations they want to get out of.

        • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
          7·
          5 days ago

          Agree completely. It would be better if we dealt with both why a child needs to be emancipated and how to help them become so with adequate support systems in place that doesn’t require them to marry someone, regardless of that person’s age. I am only saying that there are reasons why a 16 year old might want to marry another 16 year old that do not involve sex slavery.

      • yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        1·
        5 days ago

        Marriage is literally a legal contract (or constraint). Adults sometimes enter into this contract with each other for tribal, ritualistic, or legal reasons.

        Children aren’t capable of making such a big decision, which always reflects victimization.

        Why? Because marriage is not necessary, offering zero benefits to a child and many drawbacks. So you have to ask why it’s being perpetrated. The answers are rape, religion, or sex trafficking. There are no other answers.