Child marriage is a serious problem in Massachusetts. Minors of any age can be entered into marriage without any input from them — even though they cannot file for divorce or even enter a domestic violence shelter until the day they turn 18. Nearly 1,250 children were entered into marriage in Massachusetts just between 2000 and 2018. Some 60 of them were under age 16, so they were not even old enough to consent to sex.
This calls for a protest.
We will Chain-In in Boston on September 22. We will wear bridal gowns and chains to urge legislators to pass H1709/S937 — as we have been pushing them to do since 2017! — and finally eliminate the dangerous legal loopholes that allow marriage before age 18.
All Chain-Ins are special, but this Chain-In is extra special: It will be filmed for an upcoming documentary series on a major platform.