Ten years after the Supreme Court extended marriage rights to same-sex couples in all 50 states, the justices were asked to reconsider that decision. They refused.
On Monday, the Court denied former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis’s petition, leaving Obergefell v. Hodges intact and ending her bid to overturn marriage equality. The justices did not explain their reasoning. The denial means Davis remains liable for the judgment stemming from her refusal in 2015 to issue marriage licenses, which a jury pegged at $360,000 in damages and legal fees.
Davis had argued that her religious beliefs should shield her from personal liability and urged the Court to revisit Obergefell. The Sixth Circuit rejected her First Amendment defense, and the Supreme Court declined to intervene. Advocates for LGBTQ rights called the outcome a relief, noting that public officials take an oath to serve everyone in their communities. Davis’s supporters condemned the ruling and renewed their pledge to target Obergefell in future cases.
The denial leaves the broader legal landscape unchanged. Obergefell remains binding nationwide, and the Court’s action set no new precedent. Any future appeal that aims to undermine or overturn marriage equality would be evaluated from scratch.
Davis’s petition arrived amid a longer campaign by some conservative groups and state lawmakers to test or roll back marriage equality. At least nine states have introduced measures this year that challenge new licenses for LGBTQ couples or urge the Court to revisit Obergefell. The Southern Baptist Convention has made overturning the ruling a priority. Although several current justices dissented in 2015, others have recently emphasized reliance interests that weigh against reopening the question.
The community’s response reflects relief mixed with vigilance. Many noted what a reversal could have meant for the estimated 823,000 married same-sex couples in the United States, including roughly 591,000 who wed after the 2015 decision. Others pointed to the politics around the issue, where overall national support for same-sex marriage remains about 70 percent, while Republican support has fallen from 55 percent in 2021 to about 41 percent today. For now, marriage equality (and Obergefell) stands, and Davis’s case is over.
The good news goes beyond basic human decency. It also helps a thriving wedding industry. While some diligent self-planners use wedding planning spreadsheets as a DIY solution, many soon-to-be-wed couples hire professionals to facilitate the big day.
And the money flows far beyond a planner. According to a 2023 study by The Knot, couples hire more than a dozen vendors for their weddings. The economic impact is wider than just planners. It funds food, entertainment, and businesses that provide venue rentals.
We found additional coverage at CNN, which quotes the president of the Human Rights Campaign as saying, “Today, love won again.” This mirrors sentiment across the United States, where many citizens worried that the Supreme Court would remove established rights from Americans.