West Hollywood passed a city ordinance allowing for the recognition of polyamorous relationships. (iStock)
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West Hollywood, California, unanimously passed a city ordinance Monday that would allow citizens in “multipartner domestic relationships” to receive protections under city law.
“It is hereby declared as the public policy of the City of West Hollywood that it is necessary to recognize and protect the right and opportunity of all persons to have multi-partner domestic relationships formally recognized and respected, and to be free from discrimination on account of their partnership in a multi-partner domestic relationship,” the ordinance read.
“Diverse relationship structures, including relationship structures involving more than two adults engaged in a loving, committed, and consensual relationship, are becoming increasingly common.”
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West Hollywood joins a growing list of local governments protecting polyamorous relationships. (SOPA Images via Getty Images)
The West Hollywood City Council voted 5-0 to allow people within a relationship involving three or more people to sign a statement with the city clerk. The declaration would grant qualifying partners certain rights, including hospital and jail visitation rights.
However, the ordinance would not officially recognize polyamorous relationships as a “marriage” or a registered domestic partnership in violation of state or federal law. Still, West Hollywood is one of only a handful of local governments that have enacted some form of protection for multipartner relationships.
Digital reached out to the City of West Hollywood’s communications department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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West Hollywood’s city ordinance clarified that multipartner relationships would not qualify as a “marriage” under state or federal law. (iStock)
In a comments to Digital, University of Virginia professor and Institute for Family Studies senior fellow Brad Wilcox lamented the passing of this ordinance for potentially normalizing polyamory and paving the way for polygamy.
“The dangers of legally recognizing polyamorous relationships are twofold,” he said. “First, it normalizes households where children live with adults who are not related to them by birth or adoption, an arrangement the research consistently links to higher risks for kids.
“Second, it paves the way for polygamy, which the scholarly literature shows fuels gender inequality and hurts child well-being, because wives and children end up competing for a man’s attention and resources.
“So, what seems like a progressive move here in West Hollywood can lead to some illiberal destinations that are bad for women and children.”
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Institute for Family Studies senior fellow Brad Wilcox told Digital the city ordinance could harm society because it could pave the way to polygamy. (SrdjanPav via Getty Images)
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West Hollywood first passed an anti-discrimination ordinance to protect polyamorous relationships in March. This latest ordinance will go into effect 30 days after it was adopted.
