Supreme Court Rejects Call to Overturn Its Decision Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide
The Supreme Court just made a major move—by not making one. The nation’s highest court quietly rejected an appeal asking it to overturn its landmark ruling that made same-sex marriage legal across the United States.
This all stems from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision. The court’s decision not to hear her case means that ruling still stands strong, protecting LGBTQ+ couples’ right to marry nationwide.
Davis had been ordered by a lower court to pay more than $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple she refused to serve. Her legal team tried to take the fight to the Supreme Court, banking on a chance that at least one justice would reopen the same-sex marriage debate. That didn’t happen.
Justice Clarence Thomas Was Once Again in the Spotlight
Davis’ legal defense heavily cited Justice Clarence Thomas, the only sitting justice who has publicly called for the Obergefell decision to be reconsidered. Back in 2015, Thomas was one of four dissenters who opposed the ruling—alongside Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and Antonin Scalia, who has since passed away.
While Roberts hasn’t said much since his dissent, Alito has remained vocal, saying he still disagrees with the ruling but isn’t pushing for it to be overturned. In a rare moment of restraint, even he recognized that reopening the issue could cause chaos for families who’ve built their lives on marriage equality.
Thomas, on the other hand, has been less shy. He’s repeatedly questioned whether the
Constitution truly protects same-sex marriage, a stance that has made LGBTQ+ advocates stay on alert every time the court announces a new session.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett Draws a Line Between Marriage and Abortion Rights
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who wasn’t on the bench during the 2015 decision, has said that the court sometimes needs to “fix its mistakes.” She referenced the 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion.
But Barrett has hinted that the situation with same-sex marriage might not be the same. The key difference, she said, is that “people have built their lives around that decision”—meaning countless couples got married, started families, and made life plans under that legal protection.
In plain terms: you can’t just snatch people’s marriages away and expect the world to keep turning smoothly. Even for justices who might disagree philosophically, the social and legal impact of reversing marriage equality could be catastrophic.
Kim Davis’ Defiance Still Echoes Years Later
Back in 2015, Kim Davis made national headlines out of Rowan County, Kentucky, when she defied the Supreme Court’s ruling and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She claimed that doing so would violate her Christian faith.
Her refusal set off a legal firestorm. After ignoring multiple court orders, Davis was found in contempt and jailed for several days in September 2015. When she got out, she became a symbol for some conservatives who felt their religious beliefs were under attack—and a warning for others about what happens when personal beliefs clash with constitutional rights.
Fast-forward to today, and Davis is still paying the price. The court’s latest refusal to take up her case means that lower-court orders stand, including the financial penalties against her.