David Vincent Moore: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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David V. Moore and his same sex partner were denied a marriage license at the Rowan County courthouse in Morehead, Kentucky. Gay marriage was made legal in 50 states last month with a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court which cited the 14th Amendment as the basis for its stance.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion on the ruling, concluded:

[T]he reasons marriage is fundamental under the Constitution apply with equal force to same-sex couples.

Moore and his partner are now paving the way for federal enforcement in Kentucky. Here’s what you need to know about him:

1. He Lives in Morehead With His Partner

David Vincent Moore and his partner are a couple in Morehead, Kentucky. They have been together 17 years and have lived in Morehead for 10. They recently went to the Rowan County courthouse to get married, as the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling mandated, but were denied a license by the county clerk after having to wait an obscene amount of time.

Finally called to the clerk with police presence, they presented a letter from the Governor of Kentucky and the Supreme Court ruling stating that same sex marriage was legal, but the county clerk said that she was unable to give them a marriage license but that they could go to any other county in Kentucky to obtain one. Moore told her that they owned property and paid taxes in the county. She then deferred them to her superior, Kim Davis. Davis then said she would speak to them, but told them that she would not do it while being recorded on camera.
Watch the entire encounter above.

2. There Are No Marriage Licenses in Rowan County

Davis is not just denying marriage licenses to homosexual couples, but to heterosexual couples as well. According to ABC News:

Davis has said that her Christian beliefs prevented her from complying with the Supreme Court decision, so she decided to issue no more marriage licenses to any couple, gay or straight.

Immediately following the Supreme Court ruling last Friday, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear ordered all clerks to fall in line. Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway followed up with a warning that failing to do so might open them up to civil liability.

Four couples, including two heterosexual, are now planning on suing Davis.

3. The Video Was Shared on Reddit

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The video of the Moore’s denial of a marriage license first gained traction on Reddit, garnering over 4,000 “upvotes” or “likes” in less than 12-hours.

It was posted with the “No Witch-Hunting” tag, a common feature on Reddit since the Boston Bombings. After the Boston Bombings, users on Reddit acting as vigilantes to try and identify the bombers wrongly accused Sunil Tripathi of the terrorism. According to Business Insider:

[Sunil’s parents,] in the middle of searching for their son, a new search for Sunil began on the 70-million member online community, Reddit. In less than 24-hours, Sunil’s name spread all over the Internet as the face of one of the two Boston Marathon Bombing suspects.

Sunil’s body was later found floating in a Massachusetts river, but his death was not related to the Reddit “with hunt.” Ever since then, Reddit has warned users not to blindly go after people online.

4. Moore Is a Graphic Designer

According to his website, Moore works in illustration and graphic design at Morehead State University. His bio reads:

I received my BA in Art with an emphasis in Digital Art and Design from Morehead State University in Morehead, KY. Since 2006, I have sold over 10,000 original prints, jewelry pieces and paintings to an international collector-base, via online and traditional venues. Design clients include Victoria’s Secret, St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, The National WWI Museum, Deco-Art, and The Kentucky Folk Art Center.

5. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky is Handling the Lawsuit

The Kentucky ACLU is handling the case brought against Kim Davis. According to local news station Lex 18, Davis is quoted as saying:

“My conscience will not allow me to issue a license for a same sex couple because I know that God ordained marriage from the very foundation of this world to be between a man and a woman.”

ACLU of Kentucky Cooperating Attorney Laura Landenwich responded:

“Ms. Davis has the absolute right to believe whatever she wants about God, faith, and religion, but as a government official who swore an oath to uphold the law, she cannot pick and choose who she is going to serve, or which duties her office will perform based on her religious beliefs.”