West Hollywood Unanimously Passes Ordinance Granting Protections for Polyamorous Relationships

West Hollywood, California, has unanimously passed an ordinance that will provide protections for individuals in multipartner domestic relationships. The ordinance allows qualifying individuals to sign a declaration with the city clerk, granting them rights such as hospital and jail visitation. This move aims to recognize diverse relationship structures beyond traditional two-person partnerships, though it does not officially equate them to marriage or registered domestic partnerships under state or federal law.

• West Hollywood unanimously passed a city ordinance to provide protections for multipartner domestic relationships.
• The ordinance allows individuals in relationships with three or more people to sign a declaration with the city clerk.
• Qualifying partners will receive certain rights, including hospital and jail visitation.
• The ordinance does not officially recognize polyamorous relationships as marriage or registered domestic partnerships in violation of state or federal law.
• A professor from the University of Virginia expressed concern that the ordinance normalizes households with non-biologically related adults and could lead to polygamy, which he argues fuels gender inequality and harms child well-being.