Has this Southern California town approved polygamy? Can be officially registered when conditions are met

los angeles The West Hollywood City Council unanimously passed a new ordinance on the 3rd, allowing poly-partner relationships of three or more people to formally register with the city. This system allows multi-partner families to have greater security in aspects such as medical visits and rent, and also makes West Hollywood one of theCalifornia The first city to officially establish a multi-partner family relationship registration system.

Under the new ordinance, couples of three or more people can submit a declaration to the West Hollywood City Clerk to officially register their relationship in city records, the California Post reported. Applicants must volunteer, not be related by blood, and meet other basic conditions set out in the regulations.

After registration, partners can enjoy rights, including visiting their partners in medical facilities and visiting their partners in jails administered by the City of West Hollywood. Additionally, the new rules also provide some rental protections. Landlords cannot terminate the lease or refuse to renew the lease, just because the tenant’s partner lives in the rental home.

It is worth noting that applicants do not have to be residents of West Hollywood and can apply to register with the city even if they live in other cities or areas. Proponents of the system believe that formal registration will allow multi-partner families to have documents to prove their relationship while raising their children and handling family matters. However, this registration is not equivalent to a fully legal marriage, and the rights obtained are limited. Protections are limited primarily to the scope of local ordinances of the City of West Hollywood and cannot replace marriage and family rights afforded by state or federal laws.

Christina Fialho, the lawyer who pushed the policy and founder of the advocacy group Rewrite the Byline, said the current housing, health and education systems are based on two-person couples or traditional nuclear families, and multi-partner families face additional barriers. She believes this registration system is only the first step and hopes that a wide variety of families can achieve greater protection.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the city of West Hollywood has set up a registration system this time as a continuation of an anti-discrimination ordinance passed in March this year. At that time, the City Council passed rules prohibiting discrimination based on family or partnership structure. Security goals include multi-partner families, various forms of partnerships, and non-traditional partnerships by mutual consent, and the city government needs to further study the establishment of a multi-partner relationship registration system.

In fact, in recent years, other cities in the United States have successively adopted local policies to protect multi-partner families. A few years ago, Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts took the lead in allowing registration of multiple partnerships, and San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland have passed rules prohibiting discrimination based on family structure. Additionally, Portland, Astoria, Oregon and Olympia, Washington are also promoting similar safety measures for multiple partners this year.