The Supreme Court has reaffirmed its stance on same-sex marriage by rejecting an appeal to overturn its landmark decision. This ruling maintains the legal framework established nearly a decade ago, which legalized same-sex marriage across the United States.
Background of the Case
The case at hand involved Kim Davis, the former county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky. Davis garnered national attention in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
In recent events, Davis sought to challenge a lower court’s order requiring her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney fees to a couple she denied a marriage license. Her arguments included references to Justice Clarence Thomas, who has voiced support for reversing the same-sex marriage ruling.
Supreme Court Justices’ Positions
- Justice Clarence Thomas: Alone among the justices, he has advocated for overturning the same-sex marriage ruling.
- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito: Both were dissenters in the 2015 decision but have remained silent on this recent case.
- Justice Amy Coney Barrett: Not a member of the court in 2015, she expressed that corrections to prior decisions are sometimes needed but noted that same-sex marriage is significant due to its reliance by many families.
Davis’s Journey
In September 2015, Davis was jailed for contempt of court after refusing to comply with court orders to issue licenses. She eventually released the licenses but had her name removed from them. Following her actions, the Kentucky legislature passed a law removing the names of county clerks from marriage licenses.
Kim Davis lost her reelection bid in 2018, marking the end of her tenure as a controversial figure in the ongoing discourse over same-sex marriage rights.
This Supreme Court decision reinforces the protections for same-sex marriage that have been in place since the original ruling, ensuring that same-sex couples continue to have access to marriage rights throughout the United States.
