Kentucky town lifts gay marriage ban

Among the couples issued marriage licenses on Friday were James Yates and William Smith, who had previously been denied five times.

The authorizations were served by deputies of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who was jailed for refusing to follow a Supreme Court ruling that gay marriage was legal across the US.

Davis, who is an Apostolic Christian, believes that a marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and had defied several federal court orders on the issue. She is being held at a detention center in nearby Grayson, Kentucky.

Her lawyer warned that the licenses were invalid because they were not issued with her approval.

"They are not worth the paper they are printed on," Matthew Staver from Liberty Counsel said, adding that Davis' name does not appear on the licenses.

Liberty Counsel also issued a detailed response following their client's jailing.

The Kentucky Equality Federation, which campaigns on gay rights, said Davis' religious beliefs were "incompatible with the elected office she holds," and called for her to be impeached. Other rights groups have warned against her imprisonment, adding that it could create "a false persecution story."

Davis said she has no intention of stepping down, and was planning to appeal the US District Judge David Bunning's contempt finding. She is expected to stay in jail for at least a week.

Davis' six deputies were warned that they faced potential fines or jail time if they refused to uphold the Supreme Court's decision.

Reports suggest the vast majority of officials across the US have agreed to issue licenses since the Supreme Court ruling.

This week, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll showed that 49.2 percent of those surveyed supported same-sex marriage, with 36.5 percent opposed.

Several US politicians have backed Davis' defiance including Republican presidential candidates Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

mm/cmk (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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