Kim Davis Is Back At Work — Yep, She’s Refusing Marriage Licenses Again
Kim Davis, the highly controversial Kentucky clerk who was recently released from jail after refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, is now back at work. But, just as her lawyer Mat Staver implied, Kim Davis is still refusing to provide marriage licenses to gay couples based on her religious beliefs.
According to NPR, Kim Davis has decided not to authorize nor stand in the way of her deputies, who are legally required to issue marriage licenses. Judge David Bunning ordered Kim Davis not to interfere with the work of the Kentucky deputies unless she wants to go back to jail.
Kim Davis held a press conference on Monday morning to discuss her intentions upon returning to work.
“I am here before you this morning with a seemingly impossible choice, which I do not wish on any of my fellow Americans,” she said. “My conscience or my freedom. My conscience or my ability to serve the people that I love. Obey God or a directive that forces me to disobey God.”
In the ongoing battle with the state, Mat Staver and Kim Davis have been asking for an exemption to be made for the clerk’s legal authority, excusing her alone from issuing same-sex marriage licenses since they contradict her religious convictions. While it appears that neither the governor, nor any legislative authority is willing to comply with Kim Davis’ demands, it does appear that she will be permitted to personally refuse marriage licenses to gay couples and still keep her job.
Kim Davis fought back tears as she made her announcement to a large crowd of supporters.
“Effective immediately, and until an accommodation is provided, by those with the authority to provide it, any marriage license issued by my office will not be issued or authorized by me. I love my deputy clerks and I hate that they have been caught in the middle. If any of them feels that they must issue an unauthorized license to avoid being thrown in jail, I understand their tough choice and I will take no action against them.”
According to the Daily Dot, Kim Davis also made it clear that she does not believe the marriage licenses issued by her deputies should be considered legally valid.
“Any unauthorized license that they issue will not have my name, my title or my authority on it,” said Kim Davis. “Instead, the license will state that they are issued pursuant to a federal court order.”
Do you think Kim Davis should be allowed to continue her work as she plans, or should she be thrown back in jail for contempt?
[Image credit: Ty Wright / Getty Images]
