Supreme Court smacks down Kentucky clerk who won’t marry gays
The Supreme Court has smacked down out a legal challenge from a clerk in Kentucky, who has repeatedly refused to issue licenses to gay people.
Kim Davis, a County Clerk from Rowan County, claims that her religious belief means she can’t issue licences to gay couples – despite it being her job to do so.
She was previously caught on camera refusing to provide a same-sex couple with a marriage license, and has continued to refuse to marry gay couples – despite a federal court ordering her to.
Davis had appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that religious freedom means she doesn’t have to do her job – but the court this week refused to issue her a stay.
The one-line ruling means that Davis could now face repercussions if she continues to refuse to marry same-sex couples. It also means she has likely exhausted her avenue of legal challenges to stall on the issue, having been denied by the highest court.
The ruling is unsurprising, coming just months after the same Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.
Anti-LGBT activist Mat Staver, who is representing Davis in the case, signalled that Davis understands she will face “consequences”.
He said: “She’s going to have to think and pray about her decision overnight. She certainly understands the consequences either way.
“She’ll report to work tomorrow, and face whatever she has to face.”
Though Davis insists her case is one of ‘religious freedom’, the involvement of Staver’s law firm shows that even if she won’t marry gays, she’s perfectly willing to work with homophobes.
Staver has claimed children will be “forced” into same-sex relationships, compared equal marriage to Islamic State, and suggested that gay equality will cause straight men to cheat on their wives with other men.
