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US Supreme Court declines to revisit same-sex marriage ruling in Kim Davis case
The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from former Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who sought to overturn a lower court's ruling requiring her to pay damages to a same-sex couple after refusing them a marriage license in 2015. The decision leaves intact the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide a decade ago.
Background: Davis's refusal and legal battle
Kim Davis, then the Rowan County clerk, denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing her religious beliefs as an Apostolic Christian. In 2015, she famously declared, "For me, this would be an act of disobedience to God." Her refusal led to a lawsuit by David Ermold and David Moore, who accused her of violating their constitutional right to marry.
Davis was jailed for six days on contempt charges and later ordered to pay $360,000 in damages. Federal Judge David Bunning ruled in 2022 that her religious rights did not shield her from liability while performing her official duties. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision.
Supreme Court's silence and conservative hopes
The justices' refusal to hear Davis's appeal comes amid conservative calls to revisit Obergefell, particularly after the Court's 2023 decision to overturn federal abortion protections. Davis's legal team, led by Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, argued that same-sex marriage rights were based on "legal fiction" and that her damages stemmed from "purported hurt feelings."
Three of the four justices who dissented in Obergefell remain on the Court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote in 2015: "Today, five lawyers have ordered every state to change their definition of marriage. Just who do we think we are?" The Trump administration had not weighed in on Davis's case.
Obergefell's legacy and Kennedy's pivotal role
The 2015 Obergefell decision, authored by retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, affirmed that same-sex couples "ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law." Kennedy, a conservative, joined four liberal justices to form the majority. The ruling marked a watershed for LGBTQ+ rights but has faced persistent challenges from religious and conservative groups.
What's next for Davis and the debate
With the Supreme Court's denial, Davis's legal options are exhausted, leaving the $360,000 judgment in place. The decision signals the Court's reluctance-at least for now-to revisit same-sex marriage, despite its conservative supermajority. Advocates on both sides are watching closely as similar cases testing the balance between religious liberty and LGBTQ+ rights continue to emerge.
