Former Rowan County Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis is a professing Christian with a sincerely held religious belief and conviction based on God's Word that marriage is exclusively a union between one man and one woman. As a result, when the two same-sex couple plaintiffs insisted that she sign their “marriage” license, Kim could not authorize nor approve the “marriage” according to her conscience and sincerely held religious beliefs. Having received no accommodation from Governor Steve Beshear or the legislature on June 27, 2015, Kim discontinued issuing all marriage licenses because of her sincere religious beliefs. However, she never stopped any person from obtaining a marriage license from any other county clerk or official.

Judge Bunning ruled that Kim violated “clearly established” law when she ceased issuing all marriage licenses and she spent six days in jail. However, the refusal of Governor Beshear to accommodate Kim violated her free exercise rights under both the First Amendment and Kentucky law. When Governor Matt Bevin took office in December 2015, he immediately issued an executive order accommodating all Kentucky clerks who refused to issue marriage licenses that conflict with their religious beliefs. In April 2016, the Kentucky General Assembly unanimously passed legislation that provided accommodation for clerks who object to issuing marriage licenses that conflict with their religious beliefs.

The Ermold and Yates cases each involve a same-sex couple who sued Kim in 2015 following the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision regarding “same-sex marriage.” The district court entered judgment against Kim in both cases, holding that she is personally liable to the plaintiffs by not issuing marriage licenses during the pendency of her request for religious accommodation. Yet the plaintiffs suffered no damages because they could have obtained "marriage" licenses from any nearby clerk’s office. The plaintiffs instead created a shame case by intentionally targeting Kim because of her religious beliefs.

This case has the potential to go to the U.S. Supreme Court where Kim Davis will argue for religious freedom and also that Obergefell should be overturned.

What if God called you to SPEAK OUT? Are you ready?

“First they came for the county clerk, but I did not speak out because I did not do marriage licenses.
Then they came for the wedding photographer, but I did not speak out because I did not photograph weddings.
Then they came for the baker, but I did not speak out because I was not a baker.
Then they came for the florist, but I said nothing because I was not a florist.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”