Kim Davis, the former Kentucky clerk embroiled in controversy, is drawing criticism on social media for her three divorces while she pushes the Supreme Court to hear her case against gay marriage.
As reported by U.S. News & World Report, Davis has been married four times in total, completing three divorces along her journey. Back in 2015, she gained notoriety for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, staunchly claiming her religious beliefs prevent her from following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.
This Friday, the Supreme Court is set to discussions behind closed doors about whether to hear her appeal.
Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for the Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed his disapproval on X, labeling her as the “triple-divorced homophobe” attempting to preach about the “sanctity of marriage” while denying rights to LGBTQ+ individuals. He stated, “She’ll lose again and hopefully begin to reflect on her actions.”
Actor John Barrowman also critiqued her actions on X, questioning her moral standing to challenge his marriage after her own history: “This B**** Kim Davis who has been married FOUR TIMES thinks she has the right and moral judgment to challenge my marriage.”
Davis’s marital history includes divinity in 1994, 2006, and 2008, according to court records.
Why It Matters
The implications of this case are rooted in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision from 2015 that established the right for same-sex couples to marry.
Although four justices expressed dissent in that ruling, only Justice Clarence Thomas has since suggested reversing it.
What to Know
Davis is appealing a lower court’s decision that mandated her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney fees to a couple she unlawfully denied a marriage license. Her cert petition also questions the validity of the Obergefell ruling.
In her attorneys’ argument, they wrote, “The damage done by Obergefell’s distortion of the Constitution is adequate grounds to overturn this opinion and reaffirm the legal framework applicable to the Court.”
Despite being jailed for contempt in 2015 for ignoring court orders, Davis’s office ultimately issued the licenses without her signature. Kentucky thereafter changed laws to exclude clerks’ names from marriage licenses.
Legal representatives for two men, who messaged her actions, assert that Davis fostered a discriminatory policy against same-sex unions within her county.
What People Are Saying
Attorneys for Kim Davis: Describing her position, they stated it contradicts her deep religious beliefs to formally acknowledge same-sex marriages due to her conviction that endorsing their unions violates her core values.
Attorneys representing the couple: They argue that despite the Supreme Court ruling, she chose to establish policy denying LGBT partners their marriage rights, acting against the Court’s directive.
What Happens Next
At this time, the Supreme Court has not confirmed whether they’ll accept Davis’s case for review.
