Since the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage across the nation, couples have stood in her office and wept. They have shouted and called her a bigot. They have tried to reason with her.
But Davis, who usually wears a skirt that reaches her ankles and her hair to her waist, refuses to relent, even under the threat of a contempt of court charge, steep fines or jail time.
"She has found herself in a situation she never envisioned," said Mat Staver, founder of the Christian law firm Liberty Counsel that is representing Davis in her bid to refuse marriage licenses.
After the Supreme Court's landmark decision in June, Davis announced she would issue no more marriage licenses.
Four couples, two gay and two straight, sued her, arguing she must fulfill her duties as an elected official despite her personal Christian faith. U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered her to issue the licenses, an appeals court affirmed that order, and the Supreme Court on Monday refused to intervene, leaving her no more legal options.
"It is a heaven or hell decision," she said in a statement.
At the time she repented in the church pew, Davis had been divorced three times, according to court records. Her current husband, Joe Davis, arrived at the courthouse Tuesday to check in on his wife as a protest raged on the courthouse lawn. It's been an ordeal for her, he said. People have threatened to kill her and set their house on fire.
Joe Davis, who described himself as "an old redneck hillbilly," pointed to the rainbow-clad protesters on the opposite side of the lawn.
"They want us to accept their beliefs and their ways," he said. "But they won't accept our beliefs and our ways."
He said he and his wife have been together 19 years, but declined to elaborate on how much of that time they've spent married.
On Tuesday morning, April Miller and Karen Roberts, tailed by television cameras and rival activists, were there when Davis opened her office doors. They hoped Davis would accept that her fight was lost and issue the licenses.
Instead, Davis turned them away. On their way out, Miller and Roberts passed David Ermold and
David Moore, 17 years a couple. "Denied again," Roberts whispered in Moore's ear.
Ermold said he almost wept. They demanded to talk to Davis, who emerged briefly on the other side of the counter.
"We're not leaving until we have a license," Ermold told her.
"Then you're going to have a long day," Davis replied. She retreated into her office, closed the door and shut the blinds as a tense standoff erupted in the office around her. Dozens from both sides of the issue packed into the lobby.
"Do your job," marriage equality activists chanted.
"Stand firm," Davis' supporters shouted back. They compared her to the Biblical figures Paul and Silas, imprisoned for their faith and rescued by God.But lawyers for the rejected couples, in asking the judge to hold her in contempt of court, requested that she not be sent to jail, and instead be issued a fine "sufficiently serious and increasingly onerous" to "compel her immediate compliance without delay."
Bunning ordered Davis and her six deputy clerks to appear before him Thursday morning (tomorrow) at the federal courthouse in Ashland.
County taxpayers pay Davis $80,000 as the elected clerk. Staver said Tuesday that she does not have a fortune squirreled away somewhere to pay whatever punishment Bunning hands down.
She also refuses to resign.
Source: AP
83 comments:
I love him already
Married four times and she has a problem with gay marriage. She needs a couple of Nigerians to shout "God hates divorce" at her.
It's not easy to be a good Christian in this perilous times.A time where wrong is right & wrong becoming the right thing.I admire her resilience & faith.
Yes ma'am
She should just resign and so something else with her life. She alone can't fight something that has been passed into law.
Lol
*do
Ummmm nawa o! God 4bid bad thing.
Auntie linda ...
Ummmm nawa o! God 4bid bad thing.
Auntie linda ...
a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said..
.
Must they involve the church in their act...
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
I am happy that some of these whites still have the fear of God in them. Posterity will be kind to her. I think she should resign, this might be too much for her to handle.
#TeamBlessed#
I am happy that some of these whites still have the fear of God in them. Posterity will be kind to her. I think she should resign, this might be too much for her to handle.
#TeamBlessed#
God grant these kind of faith, let me hold unto your words strongly and abide in them,and Lord continue to grant Davis the strength to carry this on.
God grant these kind of faith, let me hold unto your words strongly and abide in them,and Lord continue to grant Davis the strength to carry this on.
God grant these kind of faith, let me hold unto your words strongly and abide in them,and Lord continue to grant Davis the strength to carry this on.
Good, I love d part when she commented "it's a heaven or hell decision" nd tnk God she picked heaven..they better strt getting used to our(christianity) Believe
*cute bree*
See drama!!!
#Blessed child
God Cannot Be Mocked.
Ghennn ghennn
Kim davis is an idiot to do that,who is she if i may ask to defies the supreme court order,did she think's that America is nigeria were you do any thing you want and get away with it.is better she give them the licence unless she hate her self.
Human right must be No1 priority of every country,may God bless America.
#sad indeed
Kim davis is an idiot to do that,who is she if i may ask to defies the supreme court order,did she think's that America is nigeria were you do any thing you want and get away with it.is better she give them the licence unless she hate her self.
Human right must be No1 priority of every country,may God bless America.
#sad indeed
Kim davis is an idiot to do that,who is she if i may ask to defies the supreme court order,did she think's that America is nigeria were you do any thing you want and get away with it.is better she give them the licence unless she hate her self.
Human right must be No1 priority of every country,may God bless America.
#sad indeed
Is she †Ñ’ξ only Clerk in that City? They shld go to other places nw αи∂ leave d poor woman alone. Everyone shld be entitled to whatever they believe in, if she doesn't support gay, that shldnt be an issue, they shld visit other priests or whoever that can join them αи∂ do it....
Not like am supporting them though...αи∂ am not against them either... Let whatever one believe in save him/her
#It WiLL OnLy GeT bEttER
#it MusT eNd iN pRaiSE
If she will not issue the license let her resigne and let someone do the job
God will help Kim Davis to uphold her faith Amen
"Then you're going to have a long day," what an epic response. But eventually, they will sack her and put one dummy there. Just do urs and leave the rest jare. Sad indeed as freeborn will say.
Abeg make una nomake me laugh o
This Americans can like to look for trouble, see wetin Obama don cause.. ......why not go and get a court marriage certificate, must it be from a pastor....... Persecution
This Americans can like to look for trouble, see wetin Obama don cause.. ......why not go and get a court marriage certificate, must it be from a pastor....... Persecution
Abeg make una nomake me laugh o
This Americans can like to look for trouble, see wetin Obama don cause.. ......why not go and get a court marriage certificate, must it be from a pastor....... Persecution
Tell em! Let these muhfuckers know GAY is stupidity and abnormal
If u think issuing dem license is against ur belief then resign nd protect ur faith.....why being stubborn unnecessarily.
How can you be claiming rights of one party while denying another of theirs?! She has the right to decide who she wants to associate with)!
Nice1
Its her human right to refuse too. Nonsence!
It's good for them.no matter hw many they are,u can just decide to change d original design madee by God into ur own way,confused ppke dey r
She shd resign o, dats d only option 4 r
She shd resign o, dats d only option 4 r
Kim Davies stand firm and believe ur lord jesus,cos in time of trouble he will always see u through
She should leave the job nah
Good one. The sam way they are shouting rights and infringement of rights, the same way they are infringing on her rights too.
God will uphold you to the end
Woman of faith. I love her faith. Nothing dey happen. Yeye people, make them go die. Mtewwwww
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If I was in her shoes, I wil ask to b transfer to another department or simply resign honourably. Its well wit her soul.
For how long can she hold up?
Wow! what an outstanding act of boldness.
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Hahahahahaha, shay dem want freedom of anything, she is expressing freedom, very good. I just love her
Lord give this woman strength to stand up for her beliefs, to withstand the onslaught!
This whole gay thing sef...hmmm
Important! Do this tonight if you care about your brain
This whole gay thing sef...hmmm
Important! Do this tonight if you care about your brain
Mrs. Davis, you are strengthened in Jesus name. Good job.
Those anti Christ chanting and compelling her. God help us
'Presh'
Good. Keep the good work sister. One with God is majority. Amen
"They want us to accept their beliefs and their ways," he said. "But they won't accept our beliefs and our ways."
Exactly my issue with gays. You know exactly that this person is a christian, yet you meet the person to sign marriage bills for you. Are there not other people that sign marriage bills for gays? Why be so wicked? If you've decided to be a pervert, why force someone else to endorse your perversion? Look for your type, after all its a free society. These gays are just devil incarnates.
She should quit her job!!!!
Nice one frm her but bikolet her honourably resign frm dat place...
The truth remains d court has passed a judgment that is not palatable to her legally she is already in contempt the county pains her salary I stand with tgis lady we are of thie world but not of this world d best thing for her to do is resign and leave dat place.
@gentle you are so right.
I love Americans and America as a country but it seems they are tempting God. Why not even create special courts for them. Unknowingly, if this continues and erupts into a religious conflict, now d good Christians could remain meek, but some might become vulnerable and resort to different vices, finally a protest and when their demands aren't met, America might just have unleashed a new order of terrorists, d Christian Fundamentalists. That's how they'll begin to have cells across different climes. I've said my own
Hungry igbo man.. I can see you are trying hard to win the Linda takeaway.. it's not by foolishly posting same rubbish.. #MallamMaiShayi
Hungry igbo man.. I can see you are trying hard to win the Linda takeaway.. it's not by foolishly posting same rubbish.. #MallamMaiShayi
The woman should give them license ..is nothing
At least not everybody is mad. Linda take note!
At least not everybody is mad. Linda take note!
That's one strong woman
This news is utterly disheartening. How can they deny this woman her constitutional right? Ben Carson puts it so succinctly during his interview with CNN when they kept barraging him with questions on his stand on same sex marriage. he said, 'you know what I will prefer you ask me? The rights of christians' why do people never ever think bout them in policies? Policies are made over the years on the premise of alienating their beliefs...' keep God and state apart". Yeah they did just that and look what has been happening to them. I am all for the equal rights and opportunities for every one, then again, it is sheer hypocrisy not to accept this woman's beliefs and treat her as a human being while pushing for same for other groups.
at least there is still a sane person in America
Once again ur stupidly DULL ignorant comment!
She is a civil servant, her responsibly is to the tax payers, gays pay their taxes, they have every right to receive the services they are paying for.
It's not like they went to the county house to ask to get married and she refused their money, she's been paid! And it is not be choice.
Further more rights and beliefs are two separate things, your right is to aid determination is universal, your right to beliefs is a personal act of worship, a choice.
It's no one's right to deny anyone else their freedoms, it is however everyone's right to be happy, without someone shouting Jesus, Allah or Chineke... when they don't like that you are.
How evidently confused.
A woman who's had the DIVORCES and is with her 4th husband is now allowed to take a moral high ground.
I think perhaps you need to reevaluate your beliefs and wake up from your slumber. You're sounding ridiculous and slow.
Ah yes..she was standing firm when she got married 5 times and cheated on her first husband and had twins for another man. Bloody hypocrite!
Ok. I understand what you mean gentle, but is it only them being discriminated against. Find out about this woman's history...this marriage she is trying to 'protect'...she has been married 5 times, one of the men she committed adultery against and had children with another while still being married. Hypocrite!
Hmmmmm and she has divorce 3 times, isn't her faith against divorce?
May God continue to fight for u Mrs Davis, the Lord is ur strengthen.
Read the article properly, if you do not understand the words, use a dictionary. A county clerk functions in a registry. Everyone wants to comment in a hurry.
One with God is majority our God ll see u through
She is doing the right thing by not participating in any way that shows support for gay marriage
Are practicing it with this hateful narrative and story about Nigeria. Well I figure u don't utilize some important parts of your brain
See twisters...better divorced than gay anytime anyday...
The same God they introduced to blacks ?
Its you freeborn zinalima that is an idiot n I guess u should b ashamed of urself n watever ur crude
thinking dominated skull is blabbing#
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