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# Former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis petitions US Supreme Court to overturn same-sex marriage ruling
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/former-kentucky-county-clerk-kim-davis-petitions-us-supreme-court-to-overturn-same-sex-marriage-ruling/
- Published: 2025-08-12T14:49:04.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-12T14:49:04.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: North America

Ten years after the historic **Obergefell v. Hodges** ruling legalised same-sex marriage across the United States, **Kim Davis**, the former Kentucky county clerk who gained notoriety for refusing to issue marriage licences to gay couples, has petitioned the **Supreme Court** to overturn the decision.

Davis, who was briefly jailed in 2015 for contempt of court after defying a federal order to comply with the ruling, argues that her religious convictions should have shielded her from liability. Her appeal comes in response to a $360,000 judgment against her for damages and legal fees awarded to **David Ermold** and **David Moore**, a couple she denied a licence,

In her petition, Davis calls the Obergefell decision “egregiously wrong” and a “legal fiction,” asserting that it infringes upon her **First Amendment** rights to free speech and religious freedom. Her legal team, backed by the conservative **Liberty Counsel**, contends that the ruling stripped her of government immunity and left her vulnerable to personal litigation.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2025/08/20150627_marriage_ss-slide-2NMH-superJumbo-1.jpg)

The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear the case. If accepted, oral arguments could be scheduled for spring 2026, with a decision expected by June. Legal experts, however, suggest the case is a long shot. Lower courts have consistently rejected Davis’ claims, and her petition failed to gain traction among appellate judges.

This legal challenge arrives amid a broader conservative push to revisit marriage equality. In 2025, nine states have introduced legislation or resolutions aimed at curtailing same-sex marriage rights, and the **Southern Baptist Convention** has made overturning Obergefell a top priority.

Despite these efforts, public support for same-sex marriage remains strong. **Gallup** polling indicates that 70% of Americans favour marriage equality, although support among Republican voters has declined to 41%.

Even if the Supreme Court were to overturn Obergefell, existing marriages would remain valid under the **2022 Respect for Marriage Act**, which mandates federal and state recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages performed legally in any state.