The Supreme Court on Monday rejected former Kentucky Rowan County clerk Kim Davis’ petition to overturn its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.
This means the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling against Davis is final, and she must pay damages and attorneys' fees to the couple that sued over her refusal to issue them a marriage license.
From ABC News:
Davis gained international attention after she refused to issue a marriage license to a gay couple on religious grounds in open defiance of the high court’s ruling and was subsequently jailed for six days. A jury later awarded the couple $100,000 for emotional damages plus $260,000 for attorneys fees.
In a petition for writ of certiorari filed in August, Davis argued First Amendment protection for free exercise of religion immunizes her from personal liability for the denial of marriage licenses.
She also claimed the court’s decision in Obergefell v Hodges -- which rooted marriage rights for LGBTQ couples in the 14th Amendment’s due process protections -- was "legal fiction."
Lower courts had dismissed Davis' claims and most legal experts considered her bid a long shot.
BREAKING: The Supreme Court DENIES former county clerk Kim Davis's request for the justices to take up her longshot bid to overturn 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges marriage equality decision. No justice even writes about the request. pic.twitter.com/Nf1fqmmaqp
— Chris “Law Dork” Geidner (@chrisgeidner) November 10, 2025
🚨 BREAKING: US Supreme Court REJECTS an effort to overturn gay marriage
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 10, 2025
The appeal from a former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples has been denied.
It’s here to stay. pic.twitter.com/K0qWlx0Yar
Although it might sound counterintuitive, this development will damage the left more than anyone else. Over recent years, leftists have falsely claimed that Republicans are trying to reverse the Obergefell ruling and prohibit same-sex couples from marrying.
🚨 BREAKING: US Supreme Court REJECTS an effort to overturn gay marriage
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 10, 2025
The appeal from a former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples has been denied.
It’s here to stay. pic.twitter.com/K0qWlx0Yar
The Supreme Court’s decision to reject the case means that same-sex marriage will remain the law of the land. Given that there is no major movement on the right to reverse the Obergefell ruling, contrary to what Democrats are claiming. With this move, the Supreme Court has removed a weapon that Democrats were salivating over the thought of using.
