Kim Davis given award for refusing marriage licences to gay couples

She has now filed a lawsuit against Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, in order to avoid issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples.

Lawyers for Gov. Steve Beshear asked a judge Tuesday to toss the Rowan County Clerk’s case, which claims the governor violated Davis’ religious freedom when he asked the elected official to do her job.

Davis, whose parents are Catholic, has said her beliefs as an Apostolic Christian prevent her from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Davis wants the Kentucky legislature to change the laws so that marriage applicants can receive their licenses online rather than through delicate Christians like himself, but Governor Beshear said he’s in no rush to “spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money calling a special session” to immediately resolve the matter.

Around 34 percent said they would be more likely to vote for Conway because of his support for the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on same-sex marriage. Davis was jailed for disobeying a judges order for denying marriage licenses to gay couples on the basis of her religious faith.

Following Davis announcement to work against the Supreme Court’s landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage, U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered her to issue the licenses.

Davis had her office remove her name from marriage certificates nearly as soon as she got out of jail.

The argument is that Davis stood up to the law for what she believed in and was willing to sacrifice her freedom to do so.

Davis’ original claim to fame was her five-day stint in jail that was a result of her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

“Simply stated, Davis’ role is a legal one – not a moral or religious one.”

Palmer G. Vance, a lawyer retained by the governor, described Davis’ suit as a “meritless assault on the rule of law”. The lawsuit Kim is filing also asserts that the request for clerks to abide by the federal ruling was “specifically targeting clerks like Davis who possess certain religious beliefs about marriage”. Bunning is expected to announce his ruling soon over whether or not Davis’ lawsuit against the governor will be dismissed, or be advanced. In the letter, Jim recalls that his late husband’s dying wish was to have their marriage legally recognized by their home state of Ohio. “The Office of Rowan County Clerk does not have a right to free exercise of religion”.

Yesterday the Vatican confirmed that Davis had a secret meeting with Pope Francis during his trip to the U.S.in which he told her to “stay strong”. But Davis and her attorneys have also made headlines for several ways in which they’ve stretched the truth.

The Pope, who requested the quick conference, thanked the clerk for “her courage,” Davis said.