A lawsuit filed in New York by a parent wanting to marry his or her adult child is seeking to overturn the state’s laws against incest. The litigant bringing the case has opted to remain anonymous due to the “morally, socially, and biologically repugnant” view society holds for the act of incest.
“Through the enduring bond of marriage, two persons, whatever relationship they might otherwise have with one another, can find a greater level of expression, intimacy and spirituality,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit creates the acronym PAACNP, which stands for “Parent and Adult Child Non-Procreationable,” to refer to the proposed parent/child union where the parties are incapable of having children. Because of that reality, the litigant suggests the state has no compelling interest in preventing the marriage.
“Parent-and-adult-child couples for whom procreation is either virtually or literally impossible can aspire to the transcendent purposes of marriage and seek fulfillment in its highest meaning,” the lawsuit argues, saying it would “diminish their humanity” if prohibited from uniting in marriage.
