Ty Wright/Getty ImagesFor a large portion of Tuesday afternoon, Kim Davis was trending worldwide on Twitter.
The Kentucky clerk has gained national-wide attention for her refusal to issue gay couples a marriage license in spite of the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in June that same-sex couples have the right to marry.
Davis, who has lived in Rowan County all her life, has repeatedly cited "God's authority" as her reason for defying the federal courts and denying the marriage licenses. She and her entire staff are expected to appear in front of a federal judge tomorrow, who will decide whether the Rowan Country clerk is in contempt of court.
In spite of tomorrow's hearing, the New York Times reports that Davis rejected yet another gay couple's request to obtain a marriage license on Wednesday. The publication also states that Davis, who is an elected official and therefore cannot be fired, has refused licenses to heterosexual couples.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the controversy, Davis has come under fire and been called a hypocrite for her own personal past as it has been revealed that the county clerk, who describes herself as an Apostolic Christian (a denomination which seeks to interpret the Bible literally), has been married four times and has two children out of wedlock.
U.S. News has obtained court records that show that Davis has been divorced three times: once in 1994, again in 2006 and a third time in 2008.
According to reports, Davis married Dwain Wallace when she was just 18 but the couple divorced in 1994. Two years later, she married Joe Davis, and they were together for 10 years. Following their divorce, Davis wed Thomas McIntyre when she was 40 years old. Their marriage lasted less than a year and he fathered her twins, who were later adopted by Joe Davis, her second husband, when the two remarried in 2009.
Currently, Davis is being sued by four couples, two gay and two straight, who argue that she must fulfill her duties as an elected official, in spite of her religious beliefs (she stopped issuing licenses in June after the Supreme Court's ruling). A federal judge ordered her to issues the licenses and an appeals court upheld that decision.
Davis is represented by lawyers at the Liberty Counsel, a non-profit firm that provides free legal counsel in defense of "Christian religious liberty."
"I never imagined a day like this would come, where I would be asked to violate a central teaching of Scripture and of Jesus Himself regarding marriage," she said in a statement on Tuesday. "To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God's definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience. It is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision."
So if Kim Davis can sit in the county clerk's office ignoring the law without consequence, does that mean we can smoke pot there too?
? Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) September 2, 2015Kim Davis respects the sanctity of marriage but has been married four times?? Hmmm.
? Andy Cohen (@Andy) September 1, 2015So what's this about 'traditional marriage '? #Hypocrite much? #KimDavis pic.twitter.com/9GTe9ogZb1
? Patrick Gallagher (@PatrickGman) September 2, 2015#KimDavis -- So, I guess it's, "Do as I believe, not as I do." Interesting. #Hypocrite
? The Mad Sonneteer (@TheMadSonneteer) September 2, 2015#KimDavis -- So, I guess it's, "Do as I believe, not as I do." Interesting. #Hypocrite
? The Mad Sonneteer (@TheMadSonneteer) September 2, 2015The lady who's refusing 2 issue gay marriage licenses #KimDavis 4 the sanctity of marriage has married4times,hypocrite just wants a gofundme
? Bassem Masri (@bassem_masri) September 2, 2015Has #KimDavis ever refused a remarrying divorcee a marriage license? Or is she just one of those Christian hypocrites who cherrypicks Bible?
? Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 1, 2015Is gay marriage really a threat to #KimDavis ' fourth marriage? GTF outta the way #HYPOCRITE
? Tawdry Cactus (@tawdrycactus) September 1, 2015It's really hard to take your claim to "God's Law" seriously when you've been married four times #KimDavis #hypocrite
? A Hairy Homosexual (@RuriktheBurr) September 1, 2015So Kim Davis, who has been married four times, refuses to give marriage certificates to people she deems in sin? Oh. Okay. #Hypocrite
? Justin W. White (@RevJDubya) September 1, 2015If #KimDavis can't do her job, sack her. All this "religious freedom" BS. Doesn't mean she can discriminate. Oh and 3 divorces?! Hypocrite
? Lee W D (@Hotdesigner) September 1, 2015