CANOGA PARK – Four years after their suit was filed against California’s Proposition 8 in a federal court, Paul Katami and partner Jeff Zarrillo said they just want to plan their wedding.

The Burbank couple of more than 12 years is nervously awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court decision on their high-profile challenge to the 2008 state ballot measure that banned gay marriage. After a few false alarms in recent weeks, the two are flying out again Sunday to Washington, D.C. to hear the court’s historic decisions on two landmark gay marriage cases — including their own — anticipated as early as Monday.

Katami and Zarrillo, who along with a lesbian couple from Berkeley are plaintiffs in the “Hollingsworth vs. Perry” case filed by the American Foundation for Equal Rights, said they’re hopeful the nation’s highest court will not only strike down Proposition 8 but rule that no state can enact laws that discriminate against gays and lesbians.

“It would be a knee-buckling moment because it would be the first time in our history that the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that applies marriage to the (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community,” said Katami, 40, on Thursday at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church before a performance of the play “8.”

The play chronicles the couples’ landmark trial in which the Federal U.S. District Court ruled in 2010 that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional and discriminatory, a decision later upheld by a federal appeals court in 2012 before the matter recently went before the Supreme Court.

“I always say, ‘It’s not just a situation about marriage; it’s really a situation about equality,'” he said.

Katami said his relationship with Zarrillo evolved to a point where they not only wanted to enjoy the same rights married couples have but to celebrate the relationship of their lives with loved ones with a real wedding.

“Wanting to share that with our families and friends and not being able to because of state-sanctioned discrimination is a feeling that you can’t even describe to someone,” said Katami, who owns his own fitness company.

For Zarrillo, a general manager at an AMC theatre, it’s a simple question of whether the majority has the right to put the rights of a minority group up for a vote as Proposition 8 did.

“That’s why the judicial system has to step in,” said Zarrillo, 39, “because the majority will always win.”

The Rev. Anne Felton Hines of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church said that her congregation was either going to celebrate or light candles and grieve, depending on the outcome of the upcoming rulings.

“God loves everybody. If you look to the Christian Gospels, Jesus included everybody, especially those on the outside of the circle; he brought them in,” said the minister, who married two lesbian couples of the church when it was briefly sanctioned in the state in 2008.

Several audience members said Thursday night that they were touched by the reading of the play “8”, which was written by Dustin Lance Black — who also penned the Academy award-winning film “Milk” — and which is based on actual trial transcripts and interviews with the four plaintiffs and their families.

Hirsh Bilow, a retired building contractor, said the courtroom drama that was read at the Canoga Park church brought tears to his eyes.

“I cried because we even have such a challenge; it’s so shameful,” said Bilow, a Woodland Hills resident, who has several gay relatives. “It’s a dishonorable attitude for humanity to even think about not having equal rights.”

Ivar Ringdahl and his longtime wife Judy, also of Woodland Hills, said they enjoyed learning about the arguments used in the first federal trial that challenged Prop. 8 and hearing first-hand from Zarrillo and Katami in a special discussion after the play.

Judy said she was struck by the couple’s comments that they’ve gotten closer as a result of their fight for marriage equality, while Ivar said he was impressed by how committed the two men are to one another.

“If (allowing gay marriage) doesn’t happen now, I think the tide is going in that direction,” Ivar Ringdahl said. “Hopefully, it happens next week.”

Additional performances of “8” will be at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Emerson, 7304 Jordan Ave., in Canoga Park. The play is a benefit for the American Foundation for Equal Rights and suggested donation is $15. Tickets can be purchased at emersonuuc.org. For more information on the show, send an email to eventsemerson@yahoo.com.

brenda.gazzar@sgvn.com

@bgazzar on Twitter