Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Revisit Same-Sex Marriage Decision

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

The Details: The Supreme Court issued the decision without comment, effectively leaving in place lower court rulings that required Davis to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a same-sex couple she denied a marriage license in 2015. In their appeal, Davis’ legal team cited prior criticism of Obergefell, and his suggestion that the decision should be revisited. The Court’s decision indicates that same-sex marriage remains settled law for now.

For Context: Following the Obergefell ruling in 2015, Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, arguing the decision violated her religious beliefs and she should not be held personally liable for refusing to issue the licenses. Her refusal led to a federal court order, her being held in contempt and jailed for six days, and eventually a lawsuit filed by a couple she denied a license. Before Obergefell, 36 states and Washington, DC, had legalized same-sex marriage. Since then, nearly 600,000 same-sex couples have married in the US, according to the Williams Institute.

How the Media Covered It: Several media outlets across the political spectrum described the appeal as a “long-shot” and “far-fetched.” The New York Post (Lean Right bias) highlighted Thomas’ previous comments about Obergefell, including his references to other court cases. Townhall (Right) wrote the decision “will damage the left more than anyone else” as “leftists have falsely claimed” Republicans are trying to overturn same-sex marriage. The New York Times (Lean Left) and Axios (Lean Left) both highlighted support for Obergefell by LGBTQ+ individuals and human rights advocates, as well as polls showing broad public support for same-sex marriage. Fortune (Center) noted past critiques from Supreme Court justices, including the four dissenting justices in 2015 who are still on the Supreme Court.

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