On Oct. 21 New Jersey legalized same-sex marriage, making it the 14th state to legalize same-sex marriage. There are still 35 states in which same-sex marriage is still illegal. Then there’s New Mexico, where there is no law banning or legalizing it.

Although the fight for marriage equality is far from over, 2013 has been a great year for the cause. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had to recognize same-sex marriage in states where it is legal. While this was not an outright endorsement of marriage equality, it did lift the block on the legalization of same-sex marriage in California.

Since the Supreme Court ruling, four more states have legalized same-sex marriage: Delaware, Minnesota, Rhode Island and New Jersey. The fight is not over yet, and there is talk of legalizing same-sex marriage in three other states.

1. New Mexico

Currently same-sex couples can get married in New Mexico since it is not illegal. However, there is no law in place that legitimates those marriages either. So, same-sex marriage exist in a kind of legal gray area. The couples can get married but there is no law dictating that they’re entitled to the same marital benefits as heterosexual couples.

That is all about to change. The New Mexico high court recently heard arguments both for and against the legalization of same-sex marriage. The court’s decision will decide the fate of same-sex marriage in New Mexico. Either they will choose to extend the equal marriage rights to same-sex couples, or they will find the unions illegitimate and illegal.

The court wrapped up the hearing at the end of October, and both sides expect the decision to be made quickly. However, there is still no news of when the court will make the decision public. So for now, all we can do is wait and hope they rule in favor of equality.

2. Hawaii

Hawaii is also in the running to become the next state to legalize gay marriage. Hawaii is supposed to begin a session to debate the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage on Nov. 4, and it looks promising.

In 1993, Hawaii’s Supreme court ruled that it was an act of discrimination to deny same-sex couples the right to marry, but conservative backlash lead to the approval of a constitutional amendment limiting marriage rights to heterosexual couples. However, Hawaii legalized same-sex civil unions in 2011; while it was not total marriage equality, it was a step in the right direction.

Hawaii’s current Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Democrat, called for the upcoming meeting and is an avid supporter of marriage equality, but there is also a lot of public support for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

The odds look good, but this has been a split issue in Hawaii for over 20 years, so we should not expect this to be easy. Here’s to hoping the Hawaiian legislators believe in marriage equality for all their citizens.

3. Illinois

Illinois is the third state having a discussion about the legalization of same-sex marriage. While marriage equality and LGBTQ rights supporters have been very vocal about the need to legalize same-sex marriage, the Illinois House has shown very few signs that it has made any headway on making that a reality.

The bill has also been met with a lot of opposition. The discussion will continue, but so far it does not look promising. Don’t count Illinois out just yet, but don’t expect same-sex marriage to be legalized there in the next few months.

Even if all three of these states legalize same-sex marriage, there will still only be 17 states where same-sex marriage is legal, leaving 33 states where it is still illegal.

This was a good year for marriage equality, but there is still a long road ahead. It is going to be years before marriage equality exists in all 50 states. And the hardest battles, the ones in the highly conservative states, are still to come.