Nearly ten years after she became a poster child for anti-LGBTQ defiance, Kim Davis is back—and still trying to block the rainbow. The former Kentucky county clerk, who famously refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2015, is now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
The move isn’t just about principle—it’s about money. Davis, backed by the conservative Liberty Counsel, is appealing a ruling that ordered her to pay damages to a gay couple she turned away back in the day. But wrapped inside that appeal is a broader ask: erase a decade of progress for over 800,000 LGBTQ+ couples who legally tied the knot since Obergefell. Her lawyer, Mat Staver, called the ruling an “egregious opinion” that supposedly punishes people for having, wait for it—“beliefs about marriage.”
That’s cute coming from someone who once went to jail for refusing to follow the law. Davis claimed issuing licenses to same-sex couples violated her “born-again Christian” beliefs and “God’s definition of marriage.” Unfortunately for her, the Constitution—and a few hundred thousand legally wedded queer folks—disagree.
Backlash and Bad Memories
Let’s not forget: this woman became a martyr to the right-wing when she was briefly jailed in 2015. Her crusade cost taxpayers money and nearly cost LGBTQ people their rights—again. She was ultimately voted out of office in 2018, proving Kentucky has at least some taste. But now, in a political climate where the conservative majority on the Court has already rolled back Roe v. Wade, the fear is real.
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders director Mary Bonauto warned that this challenge could open a Pandora’s box. “There’s good reason for the Supreme Court to deny review in this case,” she said, noting that marriage equality benefits “couples, children, families, and the larger society.”
If the Supreme Court agrees to hear Davis’s case—and worse, sides with her—it could set a dangerous precedent. LGBTQ people would be forced to relitigate their right to marry, to have families, to be protected under law. It’s not just a legal maneuver; it’s a cultural grenade aimed straight at the heart of progress.
The LGBTQ Fallout
The LGBTQ community has good reason to be fired up. Davis’s move is more than an appeal—it’s a statement. One that says: our families, our love, our rights are still up for debate. For queer couples raising kids, building homes, and trying to live safely in a polarized America, the timing couldn’t be more cruel.
Same-sex marriage has brought legal and emotional stability to thousands. It’s allowed partners to access healthcare, inheritance, adoption, and so much more. Undoing that would be catastrophic—not just legally, but symbolically. It would signal that queer lives are negotiable. Disposable.
We’ve already seen the damage done when hard-won rights are yanked back. Let’s not let that happen again. Kim Davis had her 15 minutes. It’s time she sat down and let love win. Again.