A lesbian couple in Gwinnett County hopes history is made in more ways than one today.

The U. S. Supreme Court could issue a ruling on Friday, June 25, covering four cases, deciding whether states can legally prohibit same-sex marriage.  Justices could declare same-sex marriage legal everywhere; they could also rule that such marriage bans are legal.  There is also the possibility that the Court's rulings could allow bans to stand, yet mandate all states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

In Georgia, 21-year-olds Kelly Martinelli and Taylor Nash have been engaged since April.  Martinelli, who is in the Army, planned a surprise proposal on the beach.  A Georgia wedding, however, hasn't been a possibility, because in 2001, the state approved Amendment 1, a constitutional amendment barring gays and lesbians from marriage.

"It just sucks that I can't have the right or the freedom to marry the person that I want to marry just because we have the same body parts," says Martinelli. 

They are eagerly awaiting the Supreme Court ruling, and plan to be at the Gwinnett County Courthouse on Friday in anticipation of it, "not staking out and looking like crazy people or anything," says Martinelli, who says some of their family and close friends will wait with them. 

They have a "get-ready go bag" full of wedding clothes and supplies they're taking with them for "when the water breaks," as they joke about the wait. 

"If we're there, we're in hopes that we could possibly be the first gay couple to get married in the state of Georgia," says Martinelli. 

If justices don't rule their way, Nash and Martinelli had already planned an out-of-state wedding date come December, with a big celebration planned in Georgia in January.  Depending on which way the Supreme Court rules on Friday, the couple said they are more than willing to move up the nuptials to June 25.

"It would mean so much.  So much," says Martinelli.  "It's just freedom, and it's just pride.  It would just be remarkable and so amazing to be able to be in history knowing that we could do this at that time."