US Jews among biggest backers of same-sex marriage, data show

Some 77% of American Jews support gay marriage, according to Public Religion Research Institute poll

By JTA 29 June 2015, 6:51 am

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Carlos McKnight of Washington, waves a flag in support of gay marriage outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday June 26, 2015. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

American Jews are among the most supportive religious groups of same-sex marriage.

Some 77 percent of American Jews expressed support for same-sex marriage, according to data gathered in 2014 by the Public Religion Research Institute. Some 47 percent of American Jews polled said they “strongly favor” allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally, and 30 percent said they “favor” it.

Thirteen Jewish groups, among them organizations representing the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative streams, were among the 25 groups that joined the amicus brief filed by the Anti-Defamation League in Obergefell v. Hodges, the case decided by the US Supreme Court on Friday that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

The only religious group to be more supportive of same-sex marriage are Buddhists at 84 percent, with 48 strongly favoring and 36 in favor. Seventy-seven percent of religiously affiliated also support same-sex marriage, with 45 strongly in favor and 32 in favor.

The data were collected as part of the Public Religion Research Institute’s American Values Atlas for 2014, which comprises 40,000 interviews among a random sample of Americans in all 50 states. The institute, a nonprofit group, is “dedicated to research at the intersection of religion, values, and public life,” according to its website.