The University of Montevallo Secular Student Alliance is planning to protest at the Shelby County Courthouse this week in response to Probate Judge Jim Fuhrmeister's decision to not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

"Because Shelby County's probate judges are refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, the University of Montevallo Secular Student Alliance will be peacefully demonstrating. Feel free to join us, and make sure spread the word!" states the Facebook page for the "Peaceful Protest for Marriage Equality!"

The group is planning on protesting at the courthouse in Columbiana from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and from 2:30 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

A description of the Secular Student Alliance listed on the University of Montevallo's website states the group "aims to promote tolerance, free speech, education, and secularism. Through meetings and social events, we will welcome and support both religious and non-religious students. The SSA will enrich and improve the community through social events and local community service."

In an email to AL.com, group member Amalia Kortright said she originated the idea for the protest and enlisted her peers to participate. Others in the Montevallo area received invitations to join, and she hopes to see people from throughout the area participate.

"We hope to send out our support for the LGBT+ community here in Shelby County, and also express our displeasure with the way our probate judges are handling the situation. We want to help speed up the process of getting same-sex marriage licenses issued in any way we can. The longer we wait to start issuing same-sex marriage licenses means the longer people are treated like second-class citizen in this county," Kortright said.

When asked what message she has for the public about this issue, Kortright responded: "For us, marriage isn't a privilege. It's a human right. This is clearly a case of excessive entanglement of religion in our government, because there are no secular arguments against gay marriage.

"We understand that this is an issue of when, and not if, marriage equality comes to Shelby County, but we cannot wait any more. We want to work to make Shelby County a place where everyone is accepted and treated equally under the eyes of the law," she said.

The protest follows Fuhrmeister's decision last week to not issue same-sex marriage licenses after they became legal in Alabama on Feb. 9. After initially not issuing any marriage licenses, he decided to resume issuing the documents only to opposite-sex couples last Wednesday.

Fuhrmeister in a statement Friday said he is not issue same-sex marriage licenses because a federal ruling applying to Mobile County does not have an effect on his office.

U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. "Ginny" Granade on Thursday ordered Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis to start granting marriage licenses to gay couples. The same judge in Mobile issued a ruling last month striking down Alabama's ban on same-sex marriage.

Fuhrmeister in his statement Friday said Granade's order pertaining to Davis "has no more legal impact on Shelby County than if it were issued by a United States District Judge in Georgia, Mississippi or California. Shelby County is not in Judge Granade's District."

Additionally, "The Shelby County Probate Judge is not a party in those civil suits and is not under the jurisdiction of her orders. No court orders have been issued which alter the legal conclusion that the law which applies in Shelby County, Alabama at this point in time is the law of Alabama as adopted by the Alabama Legislature and approved by a vote of the people of Alabama."

Reporter's note: Updated at 7:23 a.m. on Feb. 17, 2015, to include comments from a member of the University of Montevallo Secular Student Alliance who is organizing the protests.