More than three people gathered outside the Pike County courthouse on Monday to protest in support of same-sex marriage.

The Rev. Jeff Byrd, a local pastor, said he was protesting in response to Probate Judge Wes Allen’s decision to no longer perform marriage ceremonies or issue marriage licenses in the wake of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Alabama.

“I came out here to be a witness as a member of the faith community, and I believe that gay and lesbian people in the State of Alabama are having their civil rights impinged upon,” Byrd said.

The same-sex marriage issue came to the forefront nearly two weeks ago, when a district judge struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, ruling it unconstitutional. Her ruling was set to take effect Monday morning, after the Attorney General’s failed appeal.

On Friday Pike County Probate Judge Wes Allen said he would no longer issue any marriage licenses or perform any marriage ceremonies, citing his interpretation of Alabama code and his religious beliefs.

Late Sunday, Alabama State Supreme Court Justice Chief Justice Roy Moore issued a statement saying Probate Judges did not need to recognize the new law.

“To ensure the orderly administration of justice within the State of Alabama, to alleviate a situation adversely affecting the administration of justice within the State, and to harmonize the administration of justice between the Alabama Judicial Branch and the federal courts in Alabama: effective immediately, no Probate Judge of the state of Alabama nor any agent or employee of any Alabama Probate Judge shall issue or recognize a marriage license that is inconsistent with Article 1, Section 36.03 of the Alabama Constitution or 30-1-19, Ala. Code 1975.”

However, many probate judges ignored Moore’s statement on Mondya. Of Alabama’s 67 counties at least seven provided marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and couples were wed at courthouses in Birmingham and Montgomery.

Byrd said the real issue in the situation the confusion surrounding the interpretation of the word “marriage.”

“I think the issue is that there is a confusion,” Byrd said. “There is a difference between civil marriage and holy matrimony. Those churches that consider marriage, or holy matrimony, a sacrament that is a separate issue from the state doing its job in issuing a license to citizens that have that right according to the courts.”

Byrd said his solution to the problem would ultimately be education. And while Byrd asked his denomination not be revealed, he said hoped to stand as a message to the lesbian and gay members of the Pike County community that some people of faith stood with them during their plight.

“I am standing here as a witness with another member of my church to be a witness to the lesbian and gay community in Pike County and greater Alabama that there are people of faith that fully support their dignity, their integrity and their right to have equal access and protections under the law,” Byrd said.

Local high school senior Trissy Magrath joined Byrd Monday in front of the courthouse. Magrath said she identified herself as a bisexual and she has been taught since youth to love one another and be nice to one other, which heavily influenced her decision to take a public stand for her rights Monday.

“Everyone is always telling us to love each other, be nice to each other, so if this man and woman can love each other why can’t another woman and another woman love each other as well,” Magrath said. “What’s the difference between these two people loving each other and these people loving each other? Because no matter how you look at it, in any way, love is love.”

Magrath said the topic of same-sex marriage had even reached to her school, where a discussion in history class showed her how open some of her peers had been.

“In school today, in my history class, we were talking about it and people were just like, ‘You know it doesn’t matter to me. They do what they do, and I’ll do what I do.’” Magrath said. “These other people said well, ‘I think it’s wrong, but if my kid was gay or a lesbian, then I would support them.’ But, if you are willing to support your kid, wouldn’t you want your kid to be able to get married and to be able to love this person how they are able to love this other person, so why can’t other people?”

The Rev. Jeff Byrd, a local pastor, said he was protesting in response to Probate Judge Wes Allen’s decision to no longer perform marriage ceremonies or issue marriage licenses in the wake of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Alabama.

“I came out here to be a witness as a member of the faith community, and I believe that gay and lesbian people in the State of Alabama are having their civil rights impinged upon,” Byrd said.

The same-sex marriage issue came to the forefront nearly two weeks ago, when a district judge struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, ruling it unconstitutional. Her ruling was set to take effect Monday morning, after the Attorney General’s failed appeal.

On Friday Pike County Probate Judge Wes Allen said he would no longer issue any marriage licenses or perform any marriage ceremonies, citing his interpretation of Alabama code and his religious beliefs.

Late Sunday, Alabama State Supreme Court Justice Chief Justice Roy Moore issued a statement saying Probate Judges did not need to recognize the new law.

“To ensure the orderly administration of justice within the State of Alabama, to alleviate a situation adversely affecting the administration of justice within the State, and to harmonize the administration of justice between the Alabama Judicial Branch and the federal courts in Alabama: effective immediately, no Probate Judge of the state of Alabama nor any agent or employee of any Alabama Probate Judge shall issue or recognize a marriage license that is inconsistent with Article 1, Section 36.03 of the Alabama Constitution or 30-1-19, Ala. Code 1975.”

However, many probate judges ignored Moore’s statement on Mondya. Of Alabama’s 67 counties at least seven provided marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and couples were wed at courthouses in Birmingham and Montgomery.

Byrd said the real issue in the situation the confusion surrounding the interpretation of the word “marriage.”

“I think the issue is that there is a confusion,” Byrd said. “There is a difference between civil marriage and holy matrimony. Those churches that consider marriage, or holy matrimony, a sacrament that is a separate issue from the state doing its job in issuing a license to citizens that have that right according to the courts.”

Byrd said his solution to the problem would ultimately be education. And while Byrd asked his denomination not be revealed, he said hoped to stand as a message to the lesbian and gay members of the Pike County community that some people of faith stood with them during their plight.

“I am standing here as a witness with another member of my church to be a witness to the lesbian and gay community in Pike County and greater Alabama that there are people of faith that fully support their dignity, their integrity and their right to have equal access and protections under the law,” Byrd said.

Local high school senior Trissy Magrath joined Byrd Monday in front of the courthouse. Magrath said she identified herself as a bisexual and she has been taught since youth to love one another and be nice to one other, which heavily influenced her decision to take a public stand for her rights Monday.

“Everyone is always telling us to love each other, be nice to each other, so if this man and woman can love each other why can’t another woman and another woman love each other as well,” Magrath said. “What’s the difference between these two people loving each other and these people loving each other? Because no matter how you look at it, in any way, love is love.”

Magrath said the topic of same-sex marriage had even reached to her school, where a discussion in history class showed her how open some of her peers had been.

“In school today, in my history class, we were talking about it and people were just like, ‘You know it doesn’t matter to me. They do what they do, and I’ll do what I do.’” Magrath said. “These other people said well, ‘I think it’s wrong, but if my kid was gay or a lesbian, then I would support them.’ But, if you are willing to support your kid, wouldn’t you want your kid to be able to get married and to be able to love this person how they are able to love this other person, so why can’t other people?”