URGENT: Strengthen Portland's “Family and Relationship Structure” Protection Ordinance

What’s happening?

Portland City Council is voting on groundbreaking protections for non-monogamous and non-normative families and relationships on Thursday, February 19th at 2:00 PM.

But there's a problem: The current version is missing crucial language that would ensure it actually protects the people and families it's meant to help.

The Problem

The proposed ordinance will add "family or relationship structure" as protected categories — but it's missing the specific examples that make these protections ironclad. Without explicit language naming:

  • Polyamory, the lifestyle, and non-monogamous relationships

  • Multi-parent families, single parents, and other non-nuclear households

  • Multi-generational households (like grandparents raising grandchildren)

  • Step-families and blended families

  • Asexual and aromantic partnerships

...the public won’t know what groups are actually protected, and courts could interpret these protections too narrowly, leaving out the very families this was designed to protect.

Four other cities (Cambridge & Somerville, MA; and Berkeley & Oakland, CA) include this specific language because it matters. Portland's ordinance needs it too.

The Solution

City Council needs to amend the ordinance before they pass it to include the specific language that names who these protections cover. But they will only do so if they hear strong community demand.

That means they need to hear from you — right now.

What You Can Do RIGHT NOW

✅ Step 1: Submit written testimony (3 minutes)

Click here to submit a written testimony directly to City Council! You can use the template below, but make it more effective by personalizing it with your identity and your experience.

I support this ordinance to amend our Civil Rights Code to protect Portlanders from discrimination on the basis of their family or relationship structure. But as written, the ordinance does not make it clear exactly who these protections are meant to cover.

Without specific examples in the law, the public won't know what groups are protected, and courts could interpret the ordinance too narrowly based on their own biases.

I urge you to amend this ordinance as follows in order to ensure that the bill actually recognizes the very groups it’s meant to protect:

23.01.030 Definitions.
D. Family or relationship structure means the actual or perceived involvement, or lack thereof, of consenting individuals in intimate personal relationships. This includes multi-partner/multi-parent families and relationships, step families, multi-generational households, diverse family structures, consensually nonmonogamous relationships, and consensual sexual and/or intimate relationships, including asexual and aromantic relationships.

You can also send an email, make a phone call, or tag the bill’s cosponsors on social media:

IMPORTANT: Help us track our impact!

Priority Contacts (co-sponsors to the bill)

✅ Step 2: Sign up for public comment at the council meeting (2 minutes)

When: Thursday, February 19th at 2:00 PM
Where: Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 430
REGISTER TO TESTIFY (and register with OPEN below so we can help!)

Why testify: Councilors need to see that real Portland residents support strong protections that actually work. Your voice — even if you've never testified before — makes a difference!

✅ Step 3: Spread the word! (1 minute)

The more people who contact councilors, the stronger our case for amendment.

Share this page with friends, family, and communities in Portland by posting on social media, texting and calling your friends/partners/community, posting in local groups, etc.

Sample social post: "Portland is about to pass nondiscrimination protections for non-monogamous families and relationships — but we need to strengthen the ordinance first. Take 5 minutes to contact your councilor: www.open-love.org/legislativeadvocacy/