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Now, years later, she’s facing over $360,000 in damages and legal fees owed to the couples she denied. For Davis and millions of Christians who supported her, the Supreme Court’s refusal to take her case feels like the final blow in a long, exhausting battle for religious freedom.
The Court’s Conservative Shift — But No Reversal
Many had wondered if the court’s current conservative majority — reshaped by President Donald Trump’s three appointments — might seize the chance to revisit Obergefell. The speculation grew louder after the 2022 decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal abortion protections.
But this time, the justices chose silence. Without offering any explanation, they turned away Davis’ appeal, signaling that despite the bench’s rightward tilt, there’s little appetite to reopen one of the most polarizing rulings in modern history.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the sweeping 2015 decision, declared that “no union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family.” Kennedy retired in 2018, replaced by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, another key vote, was replaced by Justice Amy Coney Barrett in 2020 — both considered more conservative voices.
Still, even with these changes, the decision stands firm.
“A Course Correction” Rejected
In her appeal, Davis argued that it was time “for a course correction,” claiming her refusal was an act of faith protected by the First Amendment. But the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, ruling she couldn’t use her religious beliefs to escape liability for denying marriage licenses.
The Supreme Court’s decision to reject her appeal effectively leaves that ruling in place.
Conservative Justices Stay Quiet — For Now
Notably, three of the justices — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — had dissented in Obergefell. The late Justice Antonin Scalia’s fiery dissent called the 2015 ruling a “threat to American democracy” and blasted what he described as “the hubris reflected in today’s judicial Putsch.”
Yet even some of those conservative voices have signaled restraint. Justice Barrett told The New York Times that same-sex marriage carries “very concrete reliance interests,” meaning too many lives have already been built around it. And Justice Alito, despite his criticism, admitted the ruling remains “a precedent of the court that is entitled to the respect afforded by the doctrine of stare decisis.”
America Moves On — But The Divide Remains
Since Obergefell, nearly 600,000 same-sex couples have married, according to UCLA’s Williams Institute. The night the ruling came down, the White House was lit in rainbow colors — a symbol that thrilled progressives and angered millions of traditional Americans who felt their faith and values were under siege.
For Kim Davis and her supporters, the fight was never about hate — it was about conscience. But with this latest ruling, the Supreme Court has made it clear: the era of revisiting Obergefell is over.
The decision marks the end of one of the nation’s most heated cultural and legal battles — but not the end of the debate over faith, freedom, and the power of government to redefine timeless institutions.
