Supreme Court Declines to Hear Marriage Equality Case

this story First reported by Kate Sosin. 19th. Meet Kate and read more reporting on gender, politics and policy..

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear a case to overturn marriage equality. The justices denied a petition by Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue licenses in the state a decade ago.

Davis’ petition had been closely watched and was seen as unlikely.

For the past decade, Davis has fought against granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples. When she refused, she was sentenced to six days in jail and fined $100,000 plus attorney fees.

This is the second time Davis has asked the court to hear his case. She made a similar claim five years ago and made a similar claim in court. At that time, he declined to file a lawsuit.

“Davis has a sincere religious belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman,” her petition to the high court states.

She was largely considered one of the few Americans with legal standing to challenge the 2015 ruling. Obergefell vs. Hodges Marriage equality became the law of the land. But LGBTQ+ legal scholars say her legal status remains precarious. that the foundations of marriage equality remain strong;

Still, Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ legal organization, said in a statement that now is not the time for LGBTQ+ advocates to let their guard down.

“This frivolous incident has now been consigned to the dustbin of history,” Jennings said. “But don’t be naive. Our opponents have plenty of resources and determination.”

If Obergefell was overturned, the vast majority of Americans would lose marriage equality. Thirty-five states either have a constitutional ban on marriage equality or have enacted laws that prohibit LGBTQ+ couples from marrying. some people have both.

However, in 2022, Congress passed the Respect for Marriage Act. The law would force states to allow out-of-state marriages and grandfather in existing same-sex marriages. As a result, married LGBTQ+ couples will be able to stay married, and couples who wish to marry will be able to do so by traveling to another state that recognizes marriage equality.