A Kentucky country clerk who has been refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples has finally been ordered to upheld the ruling from the federal appeals court.
Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis personally objects same-sex marriage for religious reasons and stopped issuing marriage licenses the very day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned all state bans on gay marriage, according to the Washington Post.
Davis was sued by four couples, two that were same-sex couples and two that were opposite sex couples. On Wednesday, after a U.S. district judge already ordered Davis to issues the marriage licenses and gave her time to appeal to the 6th circuit, the appeals court denied her request.
“It cannot be defensibly argued that the holder of the Rowan County Clerk’s office, apart from who personally occupies that office, may decline to act in conformity with the United States Constitution as interpreted by a dispositive holding of the United States Supreme Court,” judges Damon J. Keith, John M. Rogers and Bernice B. Donald wrote for the court. “There is thus little or no likelihood that the Clerk in her official capacity will prevail on appeal.”
One of the gay couples that sued Davis were April Miller and Karen Roberts. Overjoyed by the federal ruling, they prepared their wedding bands they bought in June and immediately began preparing.
“One step closer,” Miller said. “We might be able to get married in September.”
An attorney for Davis, Mat Stayer, stated that he was disappointed with the ruling. He said he will be working with Davis to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The court of appeals did not provide any religious accommodation rights to individuals, which makes little sense because at the end of the day it’s individuals that are carrying out the acts of the office,” Staver said. “They don’t lose their individual constitutional rights just because they are employed in a public office.”
On Saturday, Davis spoke to thousands of her supporters at a religious freedom rally at the state capitol.
I need your prayers … to continue to stand firm in what we believe.”
“Regardless of what any man puts on a piece of paper, the law of nature is not going to change,” Davis told the crowd.
