The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to revisit its 2015 decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. The court's decision came on Monday, rejecting an appeal from Kim Davis, a former county clerk in Kentucky. Davis had been ordered to pay $360,000 in damages for refusing to issue marriage licenses following the landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.

Davis gained national attention when she halted the issuance of marriage licenses in Rowan County after the Supreme Court's decision. The court did not provide any comments regarding its decision to deny the appeal, which has drawn scrutiny due to the current conservative majority on the bench. Since the Obergefell ruling, the court has seen significant changes, with three justices from the original majority no longer serving.

The rejection of Davis's appeal is seen as a victory for David Ermold and David Moore, the same-sex couple who sued her after being denied marriage licenses. They were awarded $50,000 each in damages, along with an additional $260,000 in legal fees. Their attorney, William Powell, stated, "The Supreme Court’s denial of review confirms what we already knew: Same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry."

Davis's legal team argued that the First Amendment's religious protections should shield her from legal consequences, claiming that the Constitution does not explicitly recognize a right to same-sex marriage. Mat Staver, her attorney, expressed his belief that Obergefell was fundamentally flawed, stating, "It is not a matter of if, but when the Supreme Court will overturn Obergefell."

The Supreme Court's recent decisions have raised concerns among LGBTQ advocates, especially after the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Justice Clarence Thomas suggested in a concurring opinion that the court should reconsider the same-sex marriage precedent. This has led to increased anxiety about the future of Obergefell.

Ermold and Moore emphasized that Obergefell has become integral to American society, with nearly 800,000 same-sex couples now married in the U.S. They argued that Davis's appeal was a poor vehicle for challenging the ruling, as it was unclear whether overturning Obergefell would affect the verdict against her.

Davis previously spent five days in jail for contempt of court in 2015 and lost her reelection bid in 2018. The case is officially titled Davis v. Ermold, 25-125. The Supreme Court's decision not to hear the appeal reinforces the legal standing of same-sex marriage in the United States, affirming the rights of LGBTQ couples to marry.