Family and Relationship Structure Discrimination Protections

[Date]

[Councilor Name]
Seattle City Council
600 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104

Dear Councilor _______________,

I am writing as your constituent to express my strong support for the proposed ordinance to add ‘family and relationship structure’ as a protected category in Seattle's existing non-discrimination laws. This vital legislation would ensure that all Seattle residents have equal access to housing, employment, and public accommodations, regardless of how they structure their families or consensual relationships.

Seattle has always been a leader in protecting diverse communities, and this ordinance continues that tradition. The reality is that only 18% of U.S. households resemble the traditional nuclear family model. Our city is home to many residents living in blended families, multi-generational households, single-parent families, and consensually non-monogamous relationships. Currently, these families lack explicit legal protections and face real discrimination in crucial areas of life.

The evidence is clear that discrimination exists. Recent surveys show that individuals in non-traditional family structures report experiencing stigma and discrimination in housing (5%), employment (9%), healthcare (23%), and other essential services. Without legal protections, many residents are forced to hide their family structures to avoid discrimination, taking a significant toll on mental health and preventing them from accessing appropriate services.

The proposed ordinance would:

• Add ‘family and relationship structure’ protections to existing city code

• Require no additional city staff or budget resources

• Be enforced through existing legal mechanisms

• Provide significant positive impact on family stability and well-being

Similar protections have been successfully implemented in Berkeley, Oakland, Cambridge, and Somerville with straightforward implementation and positive community response. California has also recently passed state-level legislation recognizing diverse family structures, demonstrating growing momentum for these protections.

[Personal story/reason for support - please add 2-3 sentences about why this issue is important to you personally]:

This ordinance aligns with Seattle's values of inclusion and equality. It costs nothing to implement but provides immeasurable value in protecting vulnerable community members from discrimination. I urge you to support this legislation and help ensure that all Seattle families are treated with dignity and respect under the law.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your support for this important civil rights measure.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email]

FOR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS BASED ON FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIP STRUCTURE

TO: The Honorable Mayor Katie Wilson and the City Council of Seattle, Washington

FROM: The undersigned registered voters, residents, property owners, and interested parties within the municipal boundaries of Seattle

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the residents of the City of Seattle recognize the diverse composition of its citizenry and values its people, including the diverse composition of families and intimate relationships; and

WHEREAS, diverse family and relationship structures, including relationship structures involving more than two adults engaged in a loving and consensual relationship and blended or multi-generational, extra-nuclear families where two or more adults share co-parenting responsibilities, are becoming increasingly common; and

WHEREAS, people in interpersonal relationships between two or more adult individuals that involve romantic, physical, emotional, and/or familial intimacy face discrimination in many aspects of public life due to prejudicial misunderstandings related to the validity and moral fitness of such relationships; and

WHEREAS, solo or intentionally single individuals, single parents and people who identify as asexual and/or aromantic also face discrimination in many aspects of public life; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle has enacted anti-discrimination provisions throughout its Municipal Code to prohibit discrimination in matters of housing, employment, education, contracts, purchasing, and public accommodations; and 

WHEREAS, many antidiscrimination laws were enacted in a time when diverse family and relationship structures were not properly recognized and now seeks to recognize the diverse family and relationship structures of its residents, including multi-partner/multi-parent families and relationships, step families, single parents, diverse family structures, multi-generational households, consensually non-monogamous relationships, and consensual sexual and/or intimate relationships, including asexual and aromantic relationships;

WHEREAS, current federal and state anti-discrimination statutes do not provide adequate protection against discrimination based solely on family structure or relationship composition;

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle has a compelling governmental interest in ensuring equal treatment of all residents and eliminating discriminatory practices within its jurisdiction;

WHEREAS, municipalities including Somerville, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Oakland, California, and Berkeley, California have successfully enacted similar protective ordinances without adverse economic or administrative impact;

PETITION

NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned petitioners respectfully request that the Seattle City Council enact the comprehensive "ORDINANCE PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION IN REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS, EMPLOYMENT, AND IN THE PROVISION OF GOODS, FACILITIES, AND SERVICES BY ANY BUSINESS, THE CITY, OR CITY FUNDED ENTITY, ON THE BASIS OF EXCLUDING THOSE IN DIVERSE FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIP STRUCTURES," drafted by the Seattle Coalition for Family & Relationship Equity (SCFRE), in partnership with the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Nonmonogamy (OPEN), the Polyamory Legal Advocacy Coalition (PLAC), and the Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic, which includes the following protections:

SECTION 1: CITY LEADERSHIP, OVERSIGHT, AND CIVIL RIGHTS INFRASTRUCTURE

The ordinance would incorporate “family and relationship structure” into City civil rights policy, planning, and oversight functions, including:

• SMC 3.14.910 (Director duties, Office for Civil Rights)

• SMC 3.14.931 (Seattle Human Rights Commission duties)

• SMC 3.110.260 (Discrimination prohibited in public corporations, including employment provisions)

SECTION 2: CITY WORKPLACE POLICY

The ordinance would add “family and relationship structure” to the City’s workplace protections:

• SMC 4.80.020 (Affirmative Action Plan, nondiscrimination policy for City employment)

SECTION 3: BUSINESS LICENSING AND FOR-HIRE TRANSPORTATION

The ordinance would include “family and relationship structure” in business licensing standards and in nondiscrimination requirements for permitted transportation services:

• SMC 6.02.270 (License denial/revocation grounds, general provisions)

• SMC 6.202.230 (License denial/revocation grounds, new license code)

• SMC 6.310.270 (Transportation Network Company operating responsibilities, nondiscrimination in ratings and service)

• SMC 6.311.340 (Dispatch agency policy requirements prohibiting discrimination by agencies/companies and affiliated drivers)

SECTION 4: CRIMINAL CODE UPDATES

The ordinance would extend protections into specified criminal code provisions, including:

• SMC 12A.04.215 (Clarifying when use of force is not lawful, including where justified based on the victim’s actual or perceived family and relationship structure)

• SMC 12A.06.115(A) (Malicious harassment: adding “family and relationship structure” as a protected basis)

SECTION 5: HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTIONS, ENFORCEMENT, AND DEFINITIONS

The ordinance would add “family and relationship structure” to Seattle’s civil rights framework, including definitions and unlawful practices, through:

Fair Employment Practices (Title 14)

• SMC 14.04.020 (Declaration of policy)

• SMC 14.04.030 (Definitions, including “family and relationship structure” and “intimate personal relationship”)

• SMC 14.04.040 (Unfair employment practices designated)

Public Accommodations

• SMC 14.06.020 (Definitions, including “family and relationship structure”)

• SMC 14.06.030 (Unfair public accommodations practices)

Housing

• SMC 14.08.015 (Seattle Open Housing Poster notice requirements)

• SMC 14.08.020 (Definitions, including “family and relationship structure”)

• SMC 14.08.045 (Retaliation, harassment, or coercion)

• SMC 14.08.070 (Unfair inquiries or advertisements)

• SMC 14.08.190 (Exclusions and clarifications)

Contracting

• SMC 14.10.010 (Statement of purpose, fair contracting practices)

• SMC 14.10.020 (Definitions, including “family and relationship structure”)

Bias-Free Policing

• SMC 14.11.020 (Definitions: “biased policing” includes family and relationship structure)

SECTION 6: PARKS AND RECREATION

The ordinance would apply nondiscrimination protections to the use and enjoyment of parks and recreational facilities:

• SMC 18.12.280 (Discrimination prohibited in parks and recreation facilities)

SECTION 7: CONSISTENCY WITH HIGHER LAW

The ordinance would include standard provisions confirming it is not intended to conflict with state or federal law and includes severability and technical corrections, consistent with municipal ordinance practice.

LEGAL AUTHORITY AND PRECEDENT

This petition is made pursuant to, and supported by, the following authorities:

• Washington State Constitution, Article XI, Section 11, granting cities broad police power to enact local regulations not in conflict with state law

• Washington State Constitution, Article I, Sections 1 and 12, affirming political power and equal protection principles

• Seattle City Charter, including the City’s authority to enact ordinances governing civil rights, public welfare, and municipal administration

• Seattle Municipal Code, which establishes comprehensive local civil rights enforcement through the Seattle Office for Civil Rights and related bodies

The proposed ordinance is expressly drafted to complement and not conflict with state or federal law, and includes standard provisions addressing consistency, severability, and technical corrections.

MUNICIPAL PRECEDENT

Municipalities across the United States have successfully enacted local anti-discrimination protections recognizing family and relationship diversity, including but not limited to:

• Somerville, Massachusetts

• Cambridge, Massachusetts

• Oakland, California

• Berkeley, California

These jurisdictions have demonstrated that such protections are legally viable, administratively workable, and economically neutral, while meaningfully improving equity and access for residents.

CONCLUSION AND PRAYER FOR RELIEF

THEREFORE, the undersigned petitioners respectfully request that the Seattle City Council:

1. Consider for passage the comprehensive "Ordinance to Protect Family Inclusion and Relationship Diversity" as drafted;

2. Provide adequate public notice and opportunity for community input;

3. Take all necessary and appropriate actions to ensure swift implementation of these protections.

The undersigned represent a broad coalition of Seattle residents, business owners, and community stakeholders who believe that equal protection under law is a fundamental right that must be guaranteed to all residents regardless of their family and relationship structure.

Seattle can lead Washington State in recognizing that diverse family and relationship structures deserve full protection under municipal anti-discrimination law. As the draft ordinance states, the City acknowledges that "individuals involved in such relationship structures are denied certain rights or legal protections that should be afforded to persons who share their homes, their hearts, and their lives."

Primary Contact: Jessa Davis, Executive Director Seattle Coalition for Family & Relationship Equity (SCFRE)Email:jessa.davis@seattlecoalition.orgWeb: www.seattlecoalition.info

Respectfully submitted to the Office of the Mayor and Seattle City Council

Hello, my name is ___. I am live in [Your district]. I am calling in strong support of the Family and Relationship Structure ordinance you are considering.

It is currently legal to discriminate against people in Non-monogamous relationships in all 50 states. It’s time to change that. This is a simple, no cost to the city ordinance that will help thousands of Seattlites feel safe to live their most authentic life, free of systemic persecution in housing, employment, and public services.

Seattle has long been a progressive city that uplifts our most vulnerable. Please support the ‘family and relationship structure’ ordinance and keep Seattle safe.