Breaking: U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether to revisit marriage equality

"As SCOTUSblog reports, the justices will privately discuss Davis's petition on November 7. Davis, who was briefly jailed a decade ago after citing "God's authority" in refusing to issue licenses to a gay couple, is now asking the high court not only to reverse her loss in the lower courts but to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 decision that established a constitutional right to marry for same-sex couples nationwide."

"A Gallup poll from May 2024 found that 69 percent of U.S. adults support legal same-sex marriage-close to the record high of 71 percent. Sixty-four percent said same-sex relations are morally acceptable. Support remains strongest among Democrats at 83 percent and independents at 74 percent, while only 46 percent of Republicans back marriage equality, reflecting the enduring partisan divide."

"Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit rejected Davis's claim that her refusal was protected by religious freedom, ruling that she acted as a government official, not a private citizen. A jury had previously awarded $50,000 each to the couple, David Moore and David Ermold, who were denied a license."

The Supreme Court will privately consider Kim Davis's petition on November 7 to decide whether to take a case that seeks reversal of lower-court rulings and the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges. Kim Davis refused in 2015 to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, cited "God's authority," and was briefly jailed. A May 2024 Gallup poll found 69 percent of U.S. adults support legal same-sex marriage and 64 percent find same-sex relations morally acceptable, with notable partisan splits. The 6th Circuit ruled her refusal was not protected by religious freedom and a jury awarded $50,000 each to the denied couple. If the justices decline the petition, a decision could be announced by November 10; if they grant review, the case would pose a direct challenge to Obergefell and carry major implications for LGBTQ+ rights in the post-Roe era.

Read at Advocate.com