West Hollywood has moved to give throuples, foursomes and other multi-partner relationships a form of legal recognition after city officials unanimously approved a new domestic partnership ordinance.
The Los Angeles County city approved the measure Tuesday, allowing three or more people in committed relationships to register officially as domestic partners.
Introduced by Mayor John Heilman, the ordinance provides registered partners with limited rights, including hospital visitation and added tenant protections.
The measure does not, however, grant polyamorous relationships the same legal status or benefits as marriages or traditional domestic partnerships.
Under the ordinance, groups of three or more may register with the city clerk if they meet specific conditions, including mutual consent and the requirement that none of the applicants be related by blood.
Healthcare facilities and city-operated jails must recognize visitation rights for registered partners, according to the California Post.
The ordinance also bars landlords from terminating a lease or refusing to renew it solely because a registered partner continues to live in the property.
Applicants do not need to live in West Hollywood to seek recognition, since the registry is open to people from outside the city.
West Hollywood has moved to provide legal recognition for throuples, foursomes and other multi-partner relationships (stock image)
People seeking recognition do not have to live in West Hollywood because the registry is open to nonresidents (stock image)
The vote came after months of efforts by West Hollywood officials to broaden legal recognition for unconventional relationships
Christina Fialho, an attorney and founder of the bisexual media representation advocacy group Rewrite the BiLine, first presented the proposal to West Hollywood Councilmember Chelsea Lee Byers in early 2025.
Fialho welcomed the ordinance and told the Los Angeles Times that “this law is just the beginning.”
“I think it makes it possible for people to dream about a future they once thought was out of reach,” she said.
Tuesday’s decision followed months of work by West Hollywood officials to extend legal protections to relationships outside the traditional two-person model.
In March, the City Council unanimously advanced plans for a domestic partnership registry covering multi-partner relationships.
Officials had also approved an anti-discrimination ordinance that added “family or relationship structure” to the list of protected categories, aiming to shield people in polyamorous and other nontraditional households from discrimination.
The council subsequently created a task force to determine how the registry would function.
Byers, who introduced the earlier protections, called them “long overdue” as residents face rising costs and growing barriers to essential services.
Christina Fialho, an attorney and founder of the bisexual media representation advocacy group Rewrite the BiLine, first proposed the protections to West Hollywood Councilmember Chelsea Lee Byers in early 2025
In March, the City Council unanimously advanced plans for a domestic partnership registry covering multi-partner relationships (stock image)
Fialho previously told The Times that cities were increasingly acknowledging families and relationships that do not fit the traditional couple-based model.
“Cities are realizing families come in many forms and that they should protect, not police those relationships,” she said.
One potential beneficiary is Megan Katz, a 51-year-old West Hollywood librarian who has two children with her “nesting partner.” That partner also maintains a relationship with someone who lives elsewhere.
Katz told the outlet in March that while she had not personally faced discrimination at work or in her neighborhood, she was aware of others who had.
She said she was also concerned that her children might experience prejudice or social exclusion because of their family structure.
“I do have some consternation,” Katz said. “Once you’re out, you can’t put that cat back in the bag. You can’t unring that bell.”
The ordinance comes after Democrats won majorities in both the House and Senate, along with a majority of governorships nationwide, in a sweeping election victory following Tuesday’s historic vote.
Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the first cities to allow registration of multi-partner relationships several years ago.
