Advocates for the same sex couples tried to make a very simple case that the state's 97-year old marriage law, which refers to husband and wife, doesn't live up to modern standards of equal protection under the law.

NPR: New York Court Hears Gay Marriage Arguments

Also consider Herbert Levine, the 65-year-old shoe company founded in New York by a husband-and-wife team that for decades produced more than 260, 000 shoes annually.

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