Oregon — The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear a case challenging the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, leaving in place the landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that established marriage equality nationwide.
The petition, filed by several plaintiffs seeking to overturn the ruling, argued that the Constitution does not explicitly guarantee a right to same-sex marriage and that states should retain the authority to define marriage. In denying review, the Court effectively rejected that argument without comment.
Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito had previously signaled interest in revisiting Obergefell, criticizing it in earlier writings for what they called judicial overreach. However, no justices publicly dissented from the Court’s decision not to take up the case.
Legal analysts told SCOTUSblog that the denial reflects the Court’s reluctance to reopen a socially divisive issue already settled by precedent. The case had drawn broad public attention, with advocacy groups warning that overturning Obergefell could threaten marriage rights for hundreds of thousands of couples nationwide.
According to Yahoo News, the Court’s decision effectively maintains the legal status quo, ensuring that same-sex marriages remain recognized in all 50 states.
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