Kim Davis: Supreme Court Rejects Petition, Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Remains in US

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The United States Supreme Court on Monday, November 10, 2025, formally denied a petition from former Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis.

The denial sought to overturn the landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

The decision, rendered without comment by the justices, reaffirmed the legal status of same-sex marriage nationwide.

Kim Davis had previously refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples due to her religious beliefs.

This denial highlighted concerns about potential legal changes regarding LGBTQ+ rights.

Human rights advocates welcomed the decision, while opponents expressed disappointment.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court has denied a bid from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to get the justices to revisit the landmark 2015 ruling on same-sex marriage. https://t.co/MoW4rNHj2v pic.twitter.com/xyq1nqImhr

— ABC News (@ABC) November 10, 2025

On November 10, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected Kim Davis's petition without providing any additional arguments or statements explaining its decision.

This rejection signaled that the US highest court did not intend to revisit or overturn Obergefell v. Hodges through this case.

This was the second time the Supreme Court had rejected Davis's petition on the same issue, as reported by ABC.

The implication of this rejection was clear: the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling remains in effect.

Thus, the constitutional right to same-sex marriage across the United States is unaffected by Kim Davis's legal action.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson welcomed the decision, stating that "the Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences."

Kim Davis was serving as the clerk of court in Rowan County, Kentucky, in 2015 when the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling was issued.

The ruling nationally legalized same-sex marriage, but Davis refused to comply due to her strong religious beliefs, argued that marriage was only valid between one man and one woman.

Kim Davis's refusal not only extended to same-sex couples, but also halted the issuance of marriage licenses to all couples.

Her actions get the national attention and led to her five-day detention in September 2015 for defying the court's order.

Same-sex couple David Moore and David Ermold, who were denied marriage licenses by Davis, filed suit against her, accusing Davis of violating their constitutional right to marry.

A federal appeals court, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, rejected Davis's argument claiming First Amendment protection.

The court ruled that the First Amendment did not shield Davis from liability because she was acting in her capacity as a government official.

As a result, Davis was ordered to pay the couple damages and attorney fees.

This amount amounted to approximately $360,000, including $100,000 in compensatory damages and $260,000 in attorney fees.

In her petition, attorney Kim Davis explicitly asked the Supreme Court to review the 6th Circuit's ruling.

Furthermore, they asked the justices to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide for a decade.

Davis's primary argument was her First Amendment right to refuse to issue a marriage license based on her religious beliefs.

Davis's attorney also argued that Moore and Ermold could not sue for "injured feelings" suffered as a result of their "religious expression."

The petition was closely watched amid growing concerns among LGBTQ+ advocates.

They feared the conservative-majority Supreme Court might take up the case and overturn Obergefell.

Several conservative justices, including Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, had previously suggested that the Supreme Court reconsider Obergefell.