UPDATE: Texas state Rep. Jessica González, chair of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, announced this morning (Monday, Nov. 10), not to hear a case challenging marriage equality:
“Today, the Supreme Court made the right call. The Texas House LGBTQ Caucus is relieved that the Supreme Court has decided to protect its 2015 ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges.
“The right to marry is a fundamental civil right. Any two adults who wish to enter into a legal union should have the right to do so without facing discrimination or unequal opportunity. This choice should be left solely to the couple, not to any government or partisan government official. The protection of this freedom of choice is paramount, and we are glad that the Supreme Court agrees.
“We know the fight for fully-lived equity is not over, and this is not the end of our long and treacherous road, but this signifies for so many queer Americans that their love is seen, recognized, and valued by those around them.
“In a time that has seemed so bleak for LGBTQIA+ Americans, we look to this moment as a symbol of hope and a sign to keep fighting. We cannot back down in our fights for justice, because we can, and we will win them. All Americans deserve to live in a country that respects their autonomy and dignity, and we will continue to work towards the day when queer Americans are fully afforded those rights.”
ORIGINAL POST: The U.S. Supreme court has decided not to hear a case that sought to challenge marriage equality.
The court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, has rejected a case brought by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who was jailed in 2015 when she denied the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis, who has been married four times, claimed that same-sex marriage violates the sanctity of marriage and her personal Apostolic Christian religious beliefs.
The Supreme Court’s decision to reject the case comes after the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals had already tossed the case twice.
In a press release announcing the decision, Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings said, “The court’s decision reaffirms the simple fact: Equal protection under the law to all, not just some.
“This frivolous case has now been buried in the trash bin of history,” Jennings continued. “But let’s not be naïve: Our opponents are well-resourced and determined, and they aren’t going away. They will continue to try to undo all the progress we have made since Lambda Legal was founded in 1973.
“Now is not the time to let down our guard.”
— Tammye Nash
To say that I am relieved that SCOTUS decided not to hear the marriage equality case is a tremendous understatement. Rodolfo and I got married in Toronto, Canada in April 2004 by the first openly gay Canadian justice. Rodolfo is the love of my life and we deserve the same rights as any other married couple.