The US Supreme Court has refused to take up a high-profile case seeking to overturn the nationwide right to same-sex marriage, leaving the landmark 2015 ruling in place.In its brief order on Monday, the court offered no explanation for why it declined to hear the appeal filed by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who became a national figure after she refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples. Davis had asked the court to revisit and overturn the decision that legalised gay marriage across the United States.Her refusal nearly a decade ago led to a lengthy legal battle. She was ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to a gay couple she had denied a licence. Her appeal raised fears among LGBTQ groups that the Supreme Court, which has a 6 to 3 conservative majority, might be open to revisiting the issue after striking down the constitutional right to abortion three years ago.Taking up the case would have required at least four justices to vote in favour, but the court opted not to move forward.The Human Rights Campaign, one of the largest LGBTQ advocacy organisations in the country, welcomed the decision. Its president, Kelley Robinson, said, “Today, love won again.” Robinson added, “When public officials take an oath to serve their communities, that promise extends to everyone including LGBTQ+ people.” She also said, “The Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences.“
2015 same-sex marriage ruling
The 2015 ruling refers to Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal across the United States. The court held that the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the fundamental right to marry, requiring all states to issue marriage licences and recognise marriages performed elsewhere. The ruling was seen as a major civil rights victory and ended decades of legal battles over marriage equality. It also meant that states could no longer enforce bans on same-sex unions. The decision reshaped family law nationwide and provided equal legal recognition, protections and benefits for same-sex couples under federal and state laws.
