US City Grants Legal Protections to Couples in Multi-Partner Relationships

West Hollywood, a city in California, United States, has approved a new law allowing people in consensual romantic relationships involving three or more adults to officially register their partnerships and access certain legal protections.

The West Hollywood City Council unanimously passed the ordinance on Tuesday, establishing a registry for multi-partner domestic relationships, including throuples and foursomes.

Polyamory refers to having multiple romantic relationships simultaneously with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. A throuple consists of three romantic partners, while a foursome involves four people.

The legislation, introduced by the city’s Mayor, John Heilman, allows adults in such relationships to submit a declaration to the city clerk for official registration.

According to reports by The Washington Times, the registration provides participating partners with certain protections, including hospital visitation privileges and safeguards against some forms of eviction or termination of tenancy.

The Los Angeles Times also reported that healthcare facilities and correctional institutions operating within the city’s jurisdiction would be required to grant registered partners visitation rights, subject to applicable visitor restrictions.

However, the ordinance does not grant polyamorous relationships the same legal status or comprehensive rights enjoyed by married couples and domestic partnerships recognised under California state law.

To qualify for registration, applicants must demonstrate that their relationships are consensual and that none of the participants are related by blood in a way that would legally prohibit marriage under California law. They must also complete the necessary documentation and submit it to the city clerk.

The new measure forms part of West Hollywood’s broader efforts to protect residents in non-traditional family arrangements and relationship structures.

In March, the city council approved another ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on family or relationship structure, explicitly extending the protection to people in polyamorous relationships.

Following that decision, local authorities were directed to establish a registration framework and explore additional protections for individuals living in multi-partner households.

Reacting to the development, attorney and activist Christina Fialho, who campaigned for the new protections, described the ordinance as an important step towards broader recognition of diverse relationship arrangements.

“This law is just the beginning,” she told the Los Angeles Times, suggesting that the development could help people imagine possibilities they previously considered unattainable.

West Hollywood’s decision follows similar initiatives in Massachusetts, where the cities of Somerville and Cambridge introduced local registries recognising multi-partner domestic relationships in 2020.