The US Supreme Court has declined to review a landmark 2015 decision recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. The court’s decision not to consider the case was expected, given its slim chances of success and the significant shift in the court’s composition over the past few years. Legal experts said that even if there had been an appetite to revisit the ruling, this case would not have been the one. The court’s rejection of the case was praised by LGBTQ+ advocates as a victory for equal protection under the law.
In 2022, the court overturned its Roe v. Wade ruling guaranteeing a right to abortion, and same-sex marriage has been seen as a potential target for reversal. However, research shows that there are significant differences between the two cases, including the existence of over 800,000 same-sex couples now legally married in the US.
The case in question involved Kim Davis, a county clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. A federal court ruled in her favor, but an appeals court later found that she was acting as an agent of the state and therefore not protected by First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear the case, citing the lack of a clear question for review.
LGBTQ+ advocates welcomed the court’s decision, saying it reaffirmed the principle that equal protection applies to all citizens. They also noted that the rejection of the case would not put an end to efforts to challenge same-sex marriage in the future.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/10/supreme-court-same-sex-marriage