According to a new survey of American opinions, 70% of the respondents thought that women should take their husbands’ last names. And 50% thought that this should be a legal requirement! According to the study’s lead author, Laura Hamilton, this figure was surprising because so many Americans don’t seem to want the government interfering in their home lives: “Americans don’t want much government intervention in family life, so for 50 percent of Americans to feel this way was interesting.” Click the link above for more information on and interpretation of this study. How do you feel about making the name change mandatory? Continue Reading →
Marriage
Recent posts
Gender And The Marriage Name-Change
What happens when a man adopts his wife’s last name upon marriage? A boatload of trouble, apparently. A Florida man legally changed his name in order to take his wife’s last name, doing all the necessary paperwork to get a new passport, Social Security card, and so on. However, after receiving a new driver’s license, the Florida DMV accused him of fraud. His license was suspended, and only just now was the suspension lifted. Continue Reading →
Why I Took My Husband’s Last Name
Last week, a colleague of mine asked me, “Out of curiosity, what’s your husband’s last name?” “It’s McCombs. Like mine.” “Huh. Well, you just defy all stereotypes, don’t you?” Continue Reading →
What Changes After Marriage?
Many people have asked me recently: what’s changed since you’ve gotten married? My answer is: fortunately, very little. I dislike surprises. Spontaneity is not my middle name. So it’s to be expected that I would not want things to suddenly and drastically change simply because there’s been a ceremony and a shift of legal status. Continue Reading →
Wife-Beating Here And There
In a stunning reminder that misogyny is everywhere, televangelist Pat Robertson advises a Christian man to convert to Islam so that he can beat his disobedient wife. Which is not so far removed from an Egyptian cleric’s advice to husbands to beat their wives to keep them obedient. It would be nice if leaders (both religious and secular) everywhere spoke out against domestic abuse rather than condoning it. Or maybe they should consult us sex educators/researchers first so we can confirm for them that relationships based on abuse and fear are neither healthy nor desirable. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Continue Reading →
Getting Married As A Sex Blogger
Working as a blogger here at MySexProfessor.com has led me to take a new perspective on some aspects of getting married (which is happening this August, but I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet for various reasons). Since I’ve been having such an interesting time of things, I thought I’d share some of my experiences here. 1. Writing for a sex blog means there’s no need for sex toys at the bridal show. Yes, we know it’s a classic rom-com and sitcom trope to have the gifts get mixed up so it looks like someone’s grandma is giving someone a giant dildo. Continue Reading →
Love (And Marry?) Yourself First
Growing up, my mom always told me that I couldn’t expect someone to love me until I truly loved myself. I’m sure lots of other people heard similar things from their parents. If you heard that, and were anything like me, you probably nodded and went “Yeah, yeah, sure thing” and didn’t really pay it a lot of attention. However, I’ve found that, at least for me, it really is true that you need to love yourself first. A friend of mine even posed the statement as a question, and asked if me if I would be friends with myself if I met myself on the street. Continue Reading →
Obama Endorsed Gay Marriage…So What?
This afternoon I received a phone call from my father in which he asked me, his voice oozing excitement, if I had heard what the president said. “Yeah, Obama endorsed gay marriage, right?” Apparently my nonchalance was apparent, as my dad wasn’t satisfied. “Well, what do you think?” Of course he asked me not only as his daughter, but as his queer, activist, blogging daughter, so I knew I had to give him a good answer. Continue Reading →
Tie The Knot: Marathon Style
In light of all the wasted coverage on Kim Kardashian’s pathetic attempt at marriage — I thought it may be beneficial to report on an actual, inspirational wedding (you know, one that isn’t for publicity/lasts longer than 70-something days). This past Sunday, during the New York City marathon, a couple from Texas tied the knot (while running) at mile 22 of the 26.2 mile race. The couple (Mary Martin and Raymond Donaldson) apparently met running; therefore – according to the bride - a ceremony during the race only seemed fitting. The two found a minister, one who just so happens to be a triathlete, to run the race with them in order to serve as the couples’ officiant. [Check out the video here!] Thus at mile 22, as the couples’ friends and family watched from the sidelines, the two exchanged rings and ran off to live happily ever after (literately…they had to run off together, there were still about 4 miles left of the race!). Continue Reading →
A Little Tenderness Goes A Long Way
A new study conducted by researchers at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University is one of the first of its kind “to examine sexual and relationship parameters of middle-aged or older couples in committed, long-term relationships.” As they put it, “Research efforts to understand the place of sexuality in human lives rarely involves intact couples in ongoing relationships.” Researchers studied over 1,000 couples from different countries that had been together for an average length of 25 years. The study indicates that men are more likely to report increasing relationship satisfaction over time, while women are more likely to report increasing sexual satisfaction over time. Overall health was also important, as the study showed that men who were in good health were more likely to report higher levels of relationship happiness. Continue Reading →