West Hollywood has taken initial steps towards protecting a broader range of family structures from discrimination. Last month, the City Council unanimously voted 5-0 to introduce an ordinance that would make it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their family or relationship structure, including individuals in multi-partner families, and consensually non-monogamous and polyamorous relationships. If adopted, the ordinance would prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s family or relationship structure in housing, local businesses, city facilities, and city-supported services.

There are still several steps before the measure becomes law.  First and foremost, the measure will need to pass a second reading before it becomes official.  Moreover, there are a number of procedural issues the City will need to work out to ensure the measure is effectively enforced.  For example, West Hollywood will need to determine whether the ordinance will place a cap on the number of partners that would be covered and, if so, what that cap would be.  The city will also need to consider the implications the ordinance will have on employee benefits and what will be required of employers with employees in covered family or relationship structures.

To help navigate these questions, the city is creating a task force to explore a potential registration program that would allow partners to share in certain city benefits. The idea draws inspiration from West Hollywood's own history: the city created a domestic partnership program years before same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide, and that program became a model for others. Now, officials are considering whether a similar framework could work for multi-partner relationships — including how to handle insurance and other practical matters.

The taskforce was given six months to conduct necessary research and return its recommendations. Whether West Hollywood ultimately builds out a full registration program remains to be seen. But the direction is clear: the anti-discrimination piece is moving forward, with the policy details to follow. For non-traditional families in West Hollywood, that's a meaningful start.

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