California City Approves Registry for Polyamorous Relationships

A city in California has made a significant change by allowing people in polyamorous relationships, such as throuples and foursomes, to officially register their partnerships. This new law was passed by the West Hollywood City Council, which voted unanimously on Tuesday.

A throuple is a romantic relationship involving three people, while a foursome involves four. Both types of relationships fall under the broader category of polyamory, where multiple romantic partners are involved with everyone’s agreement.

The ordinance was introduced by Mayor John Heilman and allows groups of three or more adults in consensual relationships to file a declaration with the city clerk. This registration provides certain legal protections, including hospital visitation rights and protections against eviction.

However, it is important to note that these multi-partner relationships do not receive the same legal recognition as marriages or domestic partnerships under California state law. The law requires that applicants meet specific conditions, such as mutual consent and no blood relationships that would prevent marriage.

This ordinance is part of a larger effort in West Hollywood to support non-traditional family structures. Earlier this year, the city council also banned discrimination based on family or relationship structures, including polyamorous relationships.

Attorney and activist Christina Fialho, who supported the new law, called it an important first step. She expressed hope that this change could help people imagine a future they thought was impossible.

West Hollywood’s decision follows similar actions in Massachusetts, where cities like Somerville and Cambridge began recognizing multi-partner relationships through local registries in 2020.