On Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court announced their decision regarding the constitutionality of a state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. That decision makes Iowa the third state in the country to allow same-sex couples to marry. Not just domestic partnerships (which is being pushed in my former home of Wisconsin) or civil unions as they have in Vermont but marriage.

Here's an excerpt from the unanimous Supreme Court decision:

"We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian
people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially
further any important governmental objective. The legislature has
excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a
supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally
sufficient justification. There is no material fact, genuinely in
dispute, that can affect this determination."

"We have a constitutional duty to ensure equal protection of
the law. Faithfulness to that duty requires us to hold Iowa’s
marriage statute, Iowa Code section 595.2, violates the Iowa
Constitution. To decide otherwise would be an abdication of our
constitutional duty. If gay and lesbian people must submit to
different treatment without an exceedingly persuasive justification,
they are deprived of the benefits of the principle of equal protection
upon which the rule of law is founded. Iowa Code section 595.2
denies gay and lesbian people the equal protection of the law
promised by the Iowa Constitution."

Opponents of equal rights immediately started lobbying the legislature to begin the process of amending the state constitution. The earliest voters could vote on a constitutional amendment would be 2012 - if the phobes are successful at getting two consecutive sessions of the legislature to pass it. Luckily for all the rest of us Democrats control both houses.

Congrats Iowa! And for all you folks looking to tie the knot, I heard you can plan a pretty cheap wedding in Dubuque.

Since many of you have been asking how my move to New York has gone and what I've been up to I thought perhaps it might be easiest if I just showed you. Here's my life - for the past 3 weeks - through pictures.

traveling the city. checked out times sqaure. lots of bright lights.

here's where i enter the subway to get to manhattan. lots of bikes line the sidewalk but i think pete was trying to take a picture of the cute guy. there's millions of them like that here.

last weekend i went to florida to visit my nana & papa with my cousin lindsey. we went to daytona beach to soak in the sun. you can drive on the beach there. it's sort of fun.

there were lots of seagulls at the beach.

we ate french fries because we were hungry playing in the ocean. lindsey thought it would be fun to feed them - until they ATTACKED.

saw hair. it rocked. a lot.

Andre Douglas is our featured model for this week's Topless Tuesdays. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia 23 years ago (though I've also seen that he was born in Chicago). And by measure of other featured Topless Tuesday models he's on the tall end standing at 6'3". He's represented by Wilhelmina Models in New York and Specimen Model Management Group. Last year he was featured in a print spread for DSquared2 with another Topless Tuesdays favorite, Anthony Gallo.

So ENJOY. And when you've had enough eye candy make sure that you go out and vote (spring elections have notoriously poor turnout!)

I'm such a sucker for "overcoming the odds" story lines which is exactly the case with Susan Boyle. She recently sang on Britain's Got Talent with high dramatics.

She told The Mirror about the bullies that teased her in the small village where she grew up.

"I was born with a disability and that made me a target for bullies. I was called names because of my fuzzy hair and because I struggled in class. I told the teachers, but because it was more verbal than physical I could never prove anything. But words often hurt more than cuts and bruises and the scars are still there."

Now see how judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan respond to her. (I'll just put it out there - I totally cried.)

There are many words that could be used to describe this week's Topless Tuesdays model. I'll stick with flawless. This guy is hotter than chicken vindaloo. Meet Rishi Idnani.

My intel on this guy is pretty minimal. He, of course, lives in New York and goes to school at Rennselaer in Albany. He's just 21 years old and stands at 6'1". He is of Indian ancestry as well. And that ends what I know about this strapping young lad. Enjoy!

There must be something in the water in Brazil. That's really the only way to explain how they can produce such a high volume of gorgeous men and women. That's certainly the case with today's sizzler - Junior Ferreira.

Perhaps more surprising than how Junior got so beautiful is who is he. Besides being a tender age of 25, Junior is a blank canvass to me. I think I'll just make up a narrative that somehow ensnares me into his scantily clad, depraved world of beaches, photo shoots, and male models.

Is this Gavin Rossdale's former male lover? British singer Marilyn (Peter Robinson) talks about his 5 year relationship with Gwen Stefani's hubby - Gavin Rossdale.

* Britain's Got Talent phenom Susan Boyle stalked by the paps. Plus recordings she produced over 10 years ago newly discovered of Susan performing Killing Me Softly.

* Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Sith Lord Vice President Dick Cheney are fans of torture - especially waterboarding! New reports show they both approved of the CIA's extreme torture program.

* Hugh Jackman denies gay rumors - sort of.

“I’d be happy to go and deny it, because I’m not.” “But by denying it, I’m saying there is something shameful about it, and there isn’t anything shameful. The questions about sexuality I find more here in America than anywhere else, because it’s a big hang-up and defines what people think about themselves and others. It’s not a big issue in Australia.”

* Alec Mapa, Wilson Cruz and a cast of others release response to NOM's "Gathering Storm."

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

The swine flu continues to take lives across North America. Already 149 people in Mexico have died from the virus.

Meanwhile in the US the virus highlights the need to confirm President Obama's Health & Human Services nominee Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

This week's feature is sprinter and long jump gold medalist Andrew Howe. Andrew was born in Los Angeles on May 12, 1985. His father, Rene Felton, was an American hurdler which goes to show that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Though he was born in the US Andrew is an Italian athlete. His mother married an Italian man, Ugo Besozzi, and they moved to Italy when he was 7.

Andrew has won 4 gold medals (mostly in the long jump), 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze. A recent injury to his left achilles has forced Andrew to abandon the long jump this year and focus on the 200 meter.