The word “marriage” conjures up a wide range of thoughts and emotions. For most of history, marriage has been the means to define parentage, transfer property, and provide societal stability. What it hasn’t been is static. Its definition and who has been allowed to participate in it has been in constant change. Today, it is the most flexible and inclusive as it has ever been, at least in Western countries. These changes mean that your marriage can be much more individualized than ever before. But this freedom can be challenging because there are now so many options. Deborah A. Widiss, an associate law professor at Indiana University, joins Lesli in a discussion of what she calls “the marriage equation”—the influence of sex-based classifications, family law, and gender norms on your marriage and why it looks the way it does. Send your thoughts and questions to Lesli (mailto:[email protected]) and share the show on Facebook and Twitter.