Marriage

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Sexually frustrated men often claim that women hold the sex card. Life coach Steve Horsmon disagrees.

Since before we were born, we men have been aware of our emerging sexuality. Sonograms have proven that we become "in touch" with our pleasure points right from the start.

If you are like most men, and like me, a large part of your life has been spent thinking, wondering, and worrying about how those pleasure points will be satisfied. You likely imagined that the solution was ultimately in the control of others — specifically, women.

How "Friends With Benefits" Can Backfire on Men

The sexual epiphany I am talking about is the point in a man's life when thinking, wondering, and worrying changes into leading, romancing and enjoying. This epiphany does not just happen with age. It must be earned. It is simple but not easy. If it were easy, every guy would be doing it and would be happy with his sex life.

Your transition from horny to happy is based in your transition from expecting things from your wife to expecting things from yourself. This personal transformation is part of the journey which is full of surprises.

This change brings the brand new benefit of having more self-confidence, more self-respect, and more control over your emotions.

When you discover these feelings and learn how to consistently expect them of yourself, something else changes. I hear this from frustrated wives all the time.

Your sex appeal shoots through the roof! You achieve the status of "sexy man." Your wife sees you in a new attractive light which is the only light that allows her to see you this way. In fact, many other women notice as well — wherever you are. You morph into that man other guys envy and women adore. And until now, you had no idea that it had everything to do with how you think about yourself.

Read the rest of the story: A Married Man's Sexual Epiphany

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• Making Love All Day Long

Today, Minnesota became the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage, marking another significant step for gay rights. Following Iowa's 2009 legalization, it's only the second state in the Midwest to approve a gay marriage bill, as most of the states who support gay marriage are on the East Coast. But the love is spreading. Six states have adopted a same-sex marriage law over the past six months, doubling the number of states where gay marriage is legal. That's a lot of change in a fairly short amount of time, so to keep you up to date, we've created a simple timeline of legalization across the US. Keep reading for a look at which states now support gay marriage.

Today, New Zealand became the 13th country to legalize gay marriage with a new law that will take effect in August. This news comes just a week after lawmakers in Uruguay made history by passing a gay-marriage law, making the country the third in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage. The French Senate also voted last week in favor of gay marriage with a bill that should become law this Summer. These LGBT wins come as our own country's government is in the midst of deciding on same-sex marriage laws that could potentially legalize gay marriage across the US.

We're seeing more and more wins for marriage equality around the world, but there's still a long way to go, especially considering that homosexuality is, sadly, punishable by death in some Asian and African countries. So as we hope to see more acceptance of the LGBT community globally, let's cheer on the countries that have paved the way for same-sex marriage by legalizing it nationwide:

• The Netherlands: In 2001, The Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. The country's first marriage was performed in Amsterdam's city hall on April 1, 2001.
• Belgium: The country's gay-marriage law took effect June 1, 2003.
• Spain: Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since July 3, 2005.
• Canada: On July 20, 2005, Canada became the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.
• South Africa: Same-sex marriage became law in South Africa on Nov. 30, 2006, becoming the first and so far only African country to do so.
• Norway: Norway's gay-marriage law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2009.
• Sweden: Same-sex marriage became legal in Sweden on May 1, 2009.
• Portugal: On June 5, 2010, same-sex marriage was legalized in Portugal.
• Iceland: Iceland's same-sex marriage law took effect on June 27, 2010.
• Argentina: Same-sex marriage in Argentina has been legal since July 22, 2010. Argentina was the first country in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage nationwide.
• Denmark: On June 15, 2012, Denmark's gay-marriage law took effect. The country had been the first in the world to legally recognize same-sex couples through registered partnerships in 1989.
• Uruguay: Last week, on April 10, Uruguayan lawmakers voted to legalize gay marriage, becoming the second South American country to do so.
• New Zealand: Today, April 17, lawmakers in New Zealand have passed a new law legalizing same-sex marriage. The bill will take effect in August.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law, and in 2008, California voters passed Proposition 8, banning gay marriage in the state. But 2013 could be the year the bans become history and gay marriage becomes legal across the US. That's up to the Supreme Court, which hears arguments this week on both laws. Oral arguments on Prop. 8 begin Tuesday, while Wednesday is all about DOMA. A decision likely won't come until July, so until then, let's look into what might impact the court's ruling.

First, What's at Stake
If the court declares DOMA unconstitutional, the federal government would have to recognize same-sex couples legally married in different states and grant them benefits like Social Security. As for Prop. 8, if the Supreme Court rules California's ban is unconstitutional, then gay-marriage bans in every state could be overturned, making gay marriage legal across the US.

Various Outcomes Are Possible
While the court might establish a nationwide constitutional right to gay marriage in the Prop. 8 case, it also could rule in a way that limits its decision to California only. For example, the court could rule that the parties in the case lack "standing" to be in front of the Supreme Court, and thus that it does not have jurisdiction to rule. Without granting a constitutional right to same-sex marriage across the country, a narrower ruling could leave intact lower-court decisions, meaning that California would have to grant gay marriage and that Section 3 of DOMA, which mandates the nonrecognition of same-sex marriages for all federal purposes, would be thrown out.

Keep reading to find out which justice could decide the case.

One of the industry's longest-lasting love stories started a new chapter on Friday when designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka got married.

More on the wedding, here.

We're happy to present this article from our partner site Yahoo! Shine:

While many college students across the United States are looking at the calendar and getting ready for a booze-fueled spring break, some students are planning a different kind of vacation bash: their weddings.

Also on Shine: Is 21 Too Young To Get Married?

It's not uncommon for teens attending small religious schools to forgo the typical drinking-and-partying college experience and instead focus on finding their soul mates. At Walla Walla University in Washington state, the idea of "dating to marry" is so much the norm that students have dubbed the school "Western Wedding University."

Is this a match made in heaven? Read on to find out.