The city of Olympia in Washington state is poised to become one of the first in the United States to enact explicit legal protections for residents in polyamorous, open, and other diverse relationship structures against discrimination.
A Unanimous Council Decision
The groundbreaking move was initiated by Council Member Robert Vanderpool, whose referral for the ordinance was unanimously approved by the Olympia City Council. Vanderpool framed the legislation as a vital expansion of civil liberties, particularly necessary in the current political climate. "This is essentially an expansion of civil liberties at a time when the federal executive acts as if liberties don't matter or exist," he stated, in a pointed reference to former President Donald Trump.
He emphasised that the protections are broad and inclusive. "This is for anyone who lives with anyone," Vanderpool explained. "It could be their mother-in-law, it could be their friends if they don't have blood relatives. It could be the single mother or father. It could be a member of the LGBTQI two spirit plus community." The term "two spirit plus" refers to Native American individuals who embody both masculine and feminine spirits or gender roles.
Scope of the Proposed Protections
The model legislation is designed to offer a new legal avenue for individuals to sue people and businesses that discriminate against them. The protections would extend to a wide range of non-traditional living situations, including:
- Multi-parent families and step-families.
- Multi-generational households.
- People in asexual or aromantic relationships.
- Those in consensually non-monogamous, polyamorous, or open relationships.
Vanderpool clarified that the ordinance would help combat discrimination in critical areas such as housing, employment, healthcare, education, and other public services.
Focus on Non-Monogamous Relationships
While the law casts a wide net, Mayor Dontae Payne, who supports the expansion, acknowledged its primary practical impact. "I will say that primarily we don't typically see a whole lot of discrimination in housing based on somebody living with their grandmother," Payne noted. "Not to say that it doesn't happen, but it's not as much of a thing as it is for those who are in relationships with more than one partner or people who are LGBTQ+."
This legislative push addresses a significant segment of the population. Multiple studies indicate that four to five percent of American adults currently engage in consensual non-monogamy, with one in five having been in such a relationship at some point in their lives.
Olympia is following a trail blazed by a handful of other progressive US cities. Somerville, Massachusetts, became the first to pass similar legislation in March 2023, with neighbouring Cambridge quickly following. More recently in 2024, the California cities of Oakland and Berkeley enacted their own protective laws.
The Olympia ordinance now moves to a drafting phase, setting the stage for what advocates see as a necessary and timely defence of diverse family structures against prejudice.
