Earlier today, The State of New York Court of Appeals, which is the highest court in the New York State, heard oral arguments for Hernandez vs. Robles. Volokh Conspiracy’s Dale Carpenter notes that New York is one of the states in which same-sex marriage supporters believe they have a chance at amending the law, and I’m inclined to agree. Coming from the southern part of the state, including New York City and the surrounding counties, I can say that for the most part, it feels like same-sex relationships have been very much normalized. I had gay friends who went to my high school prom as couples and I had openly gay high school teachers who were fully supported by students, parents, and administrators. On the streets of New York City, it is not uncommon to see gay and lesbian couples (tastefully) displaying their affection for one another. Upstate New York may be a different demographic story, but despite registering as predominantly Republican, the state as a whole has consistently voted in two Democratic senators for a number of years. I’m not entirely familiar with the current makeup of the state’s high court, but I would love to see my home state help breakdown our country’s discrimination against same-sex couples.