Love is (Still) Love: Supreme Court Declines to Hear Kim Davis’ Challenge to Constitutional Protections for Marriage Equality

WASHINGTON, DC- Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant certiorari in Davis v. Ermold, where former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis hoped the Court would rehear a lower court's decision awarding damages to a same-sex couple to whom she refused to issue a marriage license, despite a court ordering her to do so, in 2015. As part of her request Davis asked the Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark case that affirmed Constitutional marriage protections for same-sex couples. As a result, the lower court ruling stands, leaving Davis liable for refusing to abide by existing law and signaling that the Court is, for now, unwilling to revisit or reverse precedent that establishes marriage equality for the LGBTQ+ community. This ruling also underscores that public officials cannot evade accountability under the law by invoking anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson released the following statement:

"Today, love won again. When public officials take an oath to serve their communities, that promise extends to everyone - including LGBTQ+ people. The Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences.

Thanks to the hard work of HRC and so many, marriage equality remains the law of the land through Obergefell v. Hodges and the Respect for Marriage Act. Even so, we must remain vigilant.

It's no secret that there are many in power right now working to undermine our freedoms - including marriage equality - and attack the dignity of our community any chance they get. Last week, voters rejected the politics of fear, division, and hate, and chose leaders who believe in fairness, freedom, and the future. In race after race, the American people rejected anti-transgender attacks and made history electing pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot.

And from California to Virginia to New Jersey to New York City, LGBTQ+ voters and Equality Voters made the winning difference. We will never relent and will not stop fighting until all of us are free."

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action-working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.