Kim Davis Failed This Week. But Her Advocates Are Still American Power Players
Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter
This week, the Supreme Court declined to revisit Kim Davis’ appeal that attempted to overturn its landmark precedent recognizing same-sex marriage as a legal right nationwide.
Davis may now fade into the distance, but how did the former Kentucky county clerk become the face of America’s anti-gay marriage movement?
In short, Davis had help from some of the biggest Christian legal groups and most influential figures in the U.S., who are still actively trying to roll back LGBTQ rights on home soil and—in many cases—internationally.
Now more than ever, we need to remain vigilant about Davis and these groups and monitor their efforts. Here are a few key moments where far right groups and actors tried to assist Davis, aiding in her infamy and celebrification in American culture:
July 8, 2015: Attorneys from the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel move to represent Davis in her first lawsuit, which had been filed against her by four couples who she’d denied a marriage license to and were being represented by the ACLU
Aug. 4, 2015: Davis and Liberty Counsel sue Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear for requiring her to issue gay marriage licenses, arguing that it’s a violation of her religious liberty and that he should be accountable for any legal damages instead of her.
Sept. 3, 2015: Davis is arrested and jailed for not complying with a court order when she continued to refuse to sign gay marriage licenses and ordered her deputy clerks to do the same. She allegedly did so under the advice of Liberty Counsel.
Sept. 8, 2015: Davis is released from jail. Former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee emcees a rally outside the jail supporting her upon her release. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who was also running for president at the time, visited Davis in Kentucky because he was “going to be doing everything in his power to ensure more Americans don’t become victim to religious persecution by the government,” an aide to the campaign said.
Sept. 9, 2015: The Oath Keepers, a far right militia group, announce that they’re sending troops to prevent Davis from being arrested again, though Liberty Counsel would later decline their offer.
Sept. 24, 2015: Davis and her husband meet with Pope Francis. Liberty Counsel Founder Mat Staver claims that the Pope gave her rosaries and told her to “stay strong.” The Vatican later releases a statement clarifying that this meeting should not be seen as an endorsement and that several dozen people were in attendance.
Oct. 5, 2020: The Supreme Court rejects Liberty Counsel’s appeal in Davis’ case, which sought to overturn Obergefell. While Justices Thomas and Alito agree on the decision not to hear the case, they also note that it is a “stark reminder of the consequences” of the Obergefell decision and say that Davis “may have been one of the first victims of this court’s cavalier treatment of religion.”
Nov. 11, 2025: Supreme Court denies Kim Davis’ petition to revisit same-sex marriage ruling. Staver says he will keep trying. “Like the abortion decision in Roe v. Wade, Obergefell was egregiously wrong from the start. This opinion has no basis in the Constitution,” he says.
Spencer went live on Monday with Hope Pisoni, one of our staff reporters who’s been leading the charge on tracking the ongoing fight to attack gay marriage, to discuss how we got here and what it means in the aftermath of the Supreme Court rejecting Kim Davis’ case. You can watch that here:
Jim Obergefell celebrates U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of Kim Davis’s marriage equality challenge (The Advocate)
“I hope the Supreme Court halts further attempts by public officials to use their personal faith to deny others their civil and human rights,” the civil rights icon told The Advocate.
Apple Pulls China’s Top Gay Dating Apps After Government Order (Wired)
The removal of Blued and Finka marks another setback for China’s marginalized LGBTQ+ community.
4 dead, 13 injured after Florida police chase ends with suspect crashing into popular LGBTQ bar (CBS News)
A video released by Tampa police Saturday afternoon showed a Florida Highway Patrol vehicle chasing the suspect vehicle at high speed on Interstate 275 around 12:40 a.m.
Olivia Rodrigo condemns Trump administration’s use of her music for ‘racist, hateful propaganda’ (The Guardian)
Pop star rebukes DHS and White House for video demanding undocumented immigrants self-deport.
LGBT memorial ‘means the world’ to army veteran (BBC)
The metal sculpture at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, was unveiled by the King last week.
Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:
🆕 Next Wednesday, Nov. 19, marks the 300th day of Donald Trump’s second term as President of the United States. For the third time, we’ve tracked every move the administration has made to attack LGBTQ rights in the past hundred days.
🆕 As the campaign dust settles, Pennsylvania’s first transgender mayor-elect, Erica Deuso, reflects on the journey that brought her here: from facing misunderstanding in her community to envisioning how her lived experience will guide her as Downingtown’s next mayor.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief — spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
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