Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk who had been imprisoned for refusing to issue marriage licenses on the basis of her Christian faith, returned to work on Monday morning, saying that she will not interfere with the deputy clerks' issuance of marriage licenses, but adding that the licenses will not be issued or authorized by her. Instead, the licenses will state that they are issued "pursuant to a federal court order."
"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," she said.
"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," Davis continued. "Any unauthorized license that they issue will not have my name, my title or my authority on it. Instead, the license will state that they are issued pursuant to a federal court order."
Davis has refused to issue marriage licenses to all couples since the legalization of same-sex marriage on June 26, saying that issuing licenses with her name on it to same-sex couples compels her to violate her religious beliefs. Since then, she was sued and ordered to issue marriage licenses, and her continued defiance afterwards found her in contempt of court, leading her to be jailed for six days.
It is unclear how Federal District Court Judge David L. Bunning, who found her in contempt, will respond to Davis' comments Monday morning. Bunning released Davis from jail on Septebmer 8th on the condition that she does not interfere "directly or indirectly, with the efforts of her deputy clerks to issue marriage licenses to all legally eligible couples."
Davis' refusal to issue marriage licenses has drawn attention nationwide, and many Christians have heralded her efforts. Conservative presidential candidates, including Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz, have shown support as well, the former which posted numerous tweets regarding Kim Davis' situation.
"#KimDavis should have never been locked-up for being a Christian and for following her conscience and the law. #ImWithKim #ReligiousLiberty," says one of Huckabee's tweets.
"I don't want to have this conflict. I don't want to be in the spotlight. And I certainly don't want to be a whipping post," Davis said regarding the attention. "I am no hero. I'm just a person that's been transformed by the grace of God, who wants to work, be with my family. I just want to serve my neighbours quietly without violating my conscience."
