Around New England

Cambridge Inching Closer To Recognizing Threesomes

July 29, 2020

The Cambridge City Council took a step this week towards recognizing three-or-more multi-partner domestic relationships.

Six of the nine members of the city council voted on Monday, July 27 in favor of advancing a pro-polyamory measure that would give the same domestic partnership benefits to relationships of more than two people as married couples have in the city. Two of the nine members of the council voted present, while another was absent from the meeting.

Now, the proposed ordinance is expected to be formally voted on at the next city council meeting on September 14, according to Cambridge Day.

The proposed ordinance defines “domestic partnership” as “two or more persons” who live together; “are in a relationship of mutual support, caring and commitment and intend to remain in such a relationship”; are not related more closely than the state would allow two people to marry; are not in a domestic partnership with someone outside of the domestic partnership applied for; are deemed competent to make a contract; and “consider themselves to be a family.”

If the Cambridge City Council follows through with it, Cambridge would become the second city in America to formally recognize polyamorous relationships. Somerville, Massachusetts became the first last month.