The Supreme Court on Monday decisively rejected an attempt to overturn its landmark 2015 decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, dealing a blow to opponents who have sought to roll back LGBTQ+ rights protections.

The justices, without issuing any written explanation, turned away an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who gained national attention when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the high court’s Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. Davis had been attempting to overturn a lower court order requiring her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple she denied a marriage license.

Davis’s legal team repeatedly pointed to statements from Justice Clarence Thomas, who remains the only current justice to explicitly call for reversing the same-sex marriage ruling. Thomas was among four dissenting justices in the original 2015 case.

Of the other original dissenters, only Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito remain on the bench today. Roberts has maintained silence on the issue since writing his dissenting opinion, while Alito has continued to criticize the Obergefell decision, though he recently stated he was not advocating for its reversal.

The court’s rejection of Davis’s appeal suggests the 2015 same-sex marriage ruling remains on stable legal ground, despite concerns from LGBTQ+ advocates following the court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the court in 2020, has previously indicated there are instances when the court should correct past mistakes and overturn precedent, as it did with abortion rights. However, she has recently suggested same-sex marriage might be treated differently because many Americans have established families and made life decisions in reliance on that right.

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson welcomed the court’s decision, saying in a statement: “The Supreme Court made clear today that refusing to respect the constitutional rights of others does not come without consequences.”

The Davis case stems from a highly publicized confrontation in 2015 when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Rowan County, Kentucky, claiming her religious beliefs prevented her from complying with the Supreme Court’s ruling. Her defiance sparked nationwide debate about religious freedom and government officials’ obligations to follow federal law.

Davis continued refusing to issue the licenses despite court orders, ultimately resulting in her being jailed for contempt of court in September 2015. She was released only after her staff began issuing licenses without her involvement, removing her name from the documents. The Kentucky legislature later amended state law to remove all county clerks’ names from marriage licenses.

The controversy ultimately damaged Davis’s political career, as she lost her bid for re-election in 2018.

Public support for same-sex marriage has grown substantially since the 2015 ruling, with recent polls showing approximately 70% of Americans now support marriage equality. This shift in public opinion may influence the court’s reluctance to revisit the issue, even as it has demonstrated willingness to overturn other precedents.

Legal experts note that the court’s decision not to hear Davis’s case doesn’t necessarily indicate how it might rule on future challenges to LGBTQ+ rights. However, it does signal that efforts to directly overturn Obergefell face significant hurdles in the current legal landscape.

Same-sex marriage is now firmly established in American society, with hundreds of thousands of couples having married since 2015. Many have started families, purchased homes, and made major life decisions based on the legal protections and benefits that marriage provides.