Supreme Court declines to review legality of same-sex marriage

In recent news, the Supreme Court has declined to review its landmark decision to protect same-sex marriages (Obergefell v. Hodges), upholding gay rights in a surprising turn of events given the current state of this current administration. Former clerk Kim Davis challenged the ruling after she declined to give a marriage license to a same-sex couple and was found in contempt of court and fined $360,000, along with losing her clerk re-election. Davis challenged the ruling on the basis of religious discrimination, stating that “If ever there was a case of exceptional importance, the first individual in the Republic's history who was jailed for following her religious convictions regarding the historic definition of marriage, this should be it.” She is not alone in her sentiments, as many other key figures such as Justice Clarence Thomas have espoused anti-LGBTQ views and called into question the legality of gay rights. Despite all this, gay marriage would still have some protections because of the Respect for Marriage Act signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022.

In my opinion, while this is a good sign, it’s also the bare minimum, as the affirmation of the legality of same-sex marriages, while a crucial step in the path to real equality, is not exactly a major victory for the community at large. It’s important to take into account the sweeping attacks on the trans members of the community and the normalization of bigotry throughout the US, as well as the fact that a clear line is being drawn between the “acceptable” and “unacceptable” queer people because of this division of gay and trans rights.

Signing off,

Lily


Kapasi, Alyssa. “Supreme Court Declines to Revisit Gay Marriage Decision.” NPR, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/11/10/nx-s1-5604293/scotus-rejects-gay-marriage-appeal. 

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