The Supreme Court has declined a petition from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis seeking to overturn the landmark 2015 decision Obergefell v. Hodges, the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Davis, now 60, gained national attention after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in the aftermath of the ruling, citing her religious beliefs. Her refusal led to a contempt of court charge, and she spent five days in jail.
Among those denied licenses were David Ermold and David Moore, who later sued Davis for emotional distress. In 2023, a jury awarded them $100,000 in damages, along with $260,000 in attorneys’ fees related to the cases involving the couples she turned away. Davis appealed the judgment, arguing that her actions were protected by the First Amendment and claiming that Obergefell v. Hodges was “egregiously wrong” and should be overturned.
This month, the nine Supreme Court justices reviewed her petition during a private conference. At least four justices would have needed to vote in favor of hearing the case, but the petition was rejected. The court offered no comments or explanation for its decision.
Legal analysts widely predicted that the justices would not take up Davis’ appeal. Still, the request sparked concern within parts of the LGBTQ community, especially in light of the court’s recent conservative-leaning decisions.
In June 2025, the court ruled 6–3 to uphold Tennessee’s ban on the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. A week later, the same majority decided that parents could opt their children out of school lessons involving LGBTQ-related content.
When Davis was released from jail in 2015, she was publicly supported by several conservative politicians, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who framed her case within their political messaging.
However, Donald Trump — then campaigning for his first presidential term — took a more restrained approach. He said Davis would “have to go with” the Supreme Court’s ruling, noting, “The decision’s been made, and that is the law of the land.”
Following her release, Davis expressed no regrets, stating to reporters, “God’s moral law conflicts with my job duties. You can’t be separated from something that’s in your heart and in your soul.”
In 2018, Davis lost her reelection bid for the Rowan County clerk position to a Democratic challenger.
