On the morning that District Court Judge Vaughn Walker will release his ruling on whether to lift a stay preventing same-sex marriages, dozens of people have gathered at San Francisco's City Hall, many of them anxiously waiting to tie the knot if he rules to let the weddings proceed.

As they waited Mayor Gavin Newsom walked up the steps of City Hall, and a cheer went up. He stopped to greet his supporters and said, “I know nothing.”

As people thronged around him, he stopped to give a statement: “I’m ready for you. I’m full of optimism and hopeful, but what ever happens today, that optimism and hopefulness doesn’t go away.”

“We love you, Gavin,” someone called from the crowd.

A handful of pro-Prop. 8 counter-demonstrators were waiting, too.

Walker overturned Prop. 8, the ban on same-sex marriage, last week, but proponents of the ban immediately obtained a stay that prevented same-sex marriages from beginning.

The court has announced that Walker would issue his ruling by 12 p.m. today.

In cities around the state, same-sex couples also waited in city clerk's offices for word that they could be married. The Sacramento Bee reported that Gail Pellerin, president of the California Association of Clerk and Elected Officials, said that if Walker issues a ruling to lift the stay, county agencies that issue marriage licenses will be ready to serve same-sex couples whenever they get the green light.