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The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the landmark ruling that legalized same‑sex marriage nationwide, turning down an appeal without comment and thereby reinforcing the precedent set in 2015 by Obergefell v. Hodges. In that decision, issuedJune 26, 2015, the Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees same‑sex couples the right to marry and obligates states to recognize those marriages performed elsewhere.

The appeal that prompted the Court’s review was filed by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who gained national attention nearly a decade ago for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing her religious beliefs. Davis faced lawsuits and was briefly jailed for contempt of court in 2015 after defying a federal court order. Her recent appeal attempted to revisit the legal foundation of Obergefell, arguing that her constitutional rights to religious freedom were violated when she was compelled to issue licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

By rejecting Davis’s appeal, the Supreme Court signaled its continued support for the core principles established in Obergefell. The 2015 decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, held that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry, statingthat:

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideal of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family.  In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.  As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death.  It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage.  Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves.  Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded form one of civilization’s oldest institutions.  They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law.  The Constitution grants them that right.”

The ruling required all 50 states to both license and recognize marriages between same-sex partners, marking one of the most significant civil rights victories for the LGBTQ+ community in American history.

Since then, the social and legal landscape for LGBTQ+ Americans has transformed. According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, there are now over 823,000 legally married same-sex couples in the United States—more than double the number recorded when Obergefell was first decided. An estimated 1.1 million LGBTQ+ adults are now married to same-sex partners, underscoring the widespread impact and acceptance of marriage equality over the past decade.

LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to leave Obergefell untouched. “Today, love won again,” Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. “When public officials take an oath to serve their communities, that promise extends to everyone – including LGBTQ+ people. The Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences.”

Civil rights groups noted that this moment carries particular importance amid growing cultural and political polarization in the U.S. Some conservative lawmakers and advocacy groups have called for a reexamination of Obergefell, particularly following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. That ruling, which eliminated federal protections for abortion rights, raised concerns that other landmark civil rights decisions—such as those safeguarding same-sex marriage and same-sex intimacy—could also be challenged in the future.

However, with the Supreme Court’s refusal to take up the case, Obergefell remains settled law. Same-sex marriages continue to be recognized in all 50 states, and couples enjoy the same federal protections, benefits, and responsibilities as heterosexual partners. The move offers reassurance to millions of LGBTQ+ Americans that the foundation of their family life remains secure under constitutional law.

Legal experts have pointed out that while this decision doesn’t necessarily mark a new expansion of rights, it does strengthen the stability of marriage equality in the current judicial landscape. Celebrated last June, the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges stands as one of the most enduring victories for equality in modern American history—a testament to decades of advocacy, visibility, and resilience within the LGBTQ+ community.

For now, the message from the nation’s highest court is clear: marriage equality is here to stay. For more information, read here.