The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal challenging the constitutional right to same-sex marriage; a major relief for LGBTQ advocates who feared the landmark ruling could be reversed.
The decision, delivered on Monday, effectively upholds the 2015 judgment that legalized same-sex marriage across the country. The conservative-majority court offered no explanation for declining to take up the case, in line with its usual practice.
The case was filed by Kim Davis, a former county clerk in Kentucky, who in 2015 refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing her Christian religious beliefs.
Her refusal sparked nationwide debate and legal battles that made her a conservative hero and a symbol of defiance against the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling.
Davis was later ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to a gay couple she had denied marriage licenses. She appealed, asking the top court to reconsider its 2015 decision – but the justices declined.
LGBTQ advocates have praised the court’s decision. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the leading equality organizations in the U.S., described the ruling as a reaffirmation of constitutional rights.
“Today, love won again,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. “When public officials take an oath to serve, that duty extends to everyone – including LGBTQ+ people.”
Observers note that the case attracted wide attention because of concerns that the conservative-dominated Supreme Court; which overturned abortion rights in 2022 – might take steps to roll back same-sex marriage rights. But with Monday’s refusal, the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision remains untouched.
