PETITION TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF BEAVERTON, OREGON

FOR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS BASED ON FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIP STRUCTURE

TO: The Honorable Mayor Lacey Beaty and the City Council of the City of Beaverton, Washington County, Oregon

FROM: The undersigned registered voters, residents, property owners, and interested parties within the municipal boundaries of the City of Beaverton and its Urban Growth Boundary

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the City of Beaverton, Oregon, pursuant to Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 221 and the Beaverton City Charter, possesses the authority to enact ordinances protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its residents;

WHEREAS, Article I, Section 20 of the Oregon Constitution guarantees that "[n]o law shall be passed granting to any citizen or class of citizens privileges, or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens";

WHEREAS, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits state and local governments from denying equal protection of the laws to any person within their jurisdiction;

WHEREAS, discrimination based on family structure and relationship composition constitutes a denial of equal protection and equal opportunity in housing, employment, public accommodations, and municipal services;

WHEREAS, family and relationship structures subject to such discrimination include, but are not limited to: single-parent households, unmarried cohabitating couples, polyamorous arrangements, chosen families, multi-generational living arrangements, domestic partnerships, and other non-traditional family configurations;

WHEREAS, such discrimination manifests in the denial of housing accommodations, employment opportunities, access to public facilities, and equal treatment in the provision of municipal services;

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

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

WHEREAS, municipalities throughout Oregon and the United States have successfully enacted similar protective ordinances without adverse economic or administrative impact;

PETITION

NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned petitioners respectfully request that the Beaverton City Council take the following legislative actions:

SECTION 1: ORDINANCE AMENDMENT

Amend Beaverton City Code Title 5.16 (Policy) to establish comprehensive anti-discrimination protections that specifically include "family structure" and "relationship structure" as protected categories under municipal law.

SECTION 2: PROTECTED CATEGORIES DEFINED

Family Structure shall be defined as: The composition, organization, or arrangement of a household unit, including but not limited to nuclear families, single-parent families, blended families, multi-generational families, chosen families, and other living arrangements based on kinship, partnership, or mutual care and support.

Relationship Structure shall be defined as: The configuration of romantic, domestic, or partnership arrangements between consenting adults, including but not limited to marriage, domestic partnerships, civil unions, cohabitation, polyamorous relationships, and other consensual adult relationship models.

SECTION 3: PROHIBITED DISCRIMINATION

The ordinance shall prohibit discrimination based on family structure or relationship structure in:

1. Housing and Real Estate Transactions - including rental, sale, financing, and terms of occupancy;

2. Employment Practices - including hiring, promotion, compensation, and terms of employment;

3. Public Accommodations - including businesses, services, and facilities open to the public;

4. Municipal Services - including all city-provided services, programs, and benefits.

SECTION 4: ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS

Establish enforcement procedures including:

1. Complaint Process - Administrative procedures for filing and investigating discrimination complaints;

2. Civil Remedies - Provision for damages, injunctive relief, and attorney fees for prevailing parties;

3. Administrative Penalties - Fines and sanctions for violations of the ordinance;

SECTION 5: IMPLEMENTATION

1. Effective Date - The ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after passage to allow for compliance preparation.

LEGAL AUTHORITY AND PRECEDENT

This petition is made pursuant to the following legal authorities:

• Oregon Revised Statutes § 221.410 (Municipal home rule authority)

• Beaverton City Charter Section 22 (Initiative and referendum power)

• Oregon Constitution Article IV, Section 1 (Legislative power in people)

• Oregon Constitution Article XI, Section 2 (Municipal corporations)

Similar ordinances have been successfully enacted and upheld in municipalities including Somerville and Cambridge Massachusetts, and Oakland and Berkeley, California, demonstrating both legal viability and practical enforceability.

CONCLUSION AND PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, the undersigned petitioners respectfully request that the Beaverton City Council:

1. Schedule public hearings on this matter within sixty (60) days of receipt of this petition;

2. Draft and consider for passage an ordinance incorporating the protections requested herein;

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

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

The undersigned represent a broad coalition of Beaverton 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 or relationship structure.

Primary Contact: David Carlson OPEN david@open-love.org

Respectfully submitted to the Beaverton City Council

Hello, my name is ___. I am live in [Your district]. I am calling in strong support of the Family or 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 Beavertonians feel safe to live their most authentic life, free of systemic persecution in housing, employment, and public services.

Beaverton has long been a progressive city that uplifts our most vulnerable. Please support the Family or Relationship Structure ordinance and keep Beaverton safe.

Letter to Beaverton City Council: Family and Relationship Structure Protections

Subject: Support Anti-Discrimination Protections for Family and Relationship Structure

Dear Councilor [Name],

I am [Your Name], a constituent in District [Number]. I am writing to urge your support for the proposed "Family and Relationship Structure" anti-discrimination ordinance.

Currently, Beaverton residents face legal discrimination based solely on their family structure or relationship arrangement. This affects employment, housing, child custody, and access to services. Non-monogamous individuals and families with non-traditional structures lack basic civil rights protections that other Beavertonians take for granted.

Why Beaverton needs this ordinance:

Diverse families are the norm, not the exception. Only 18% of U.S. households fit the traditional nuclear family model. Today, 16% of children live in blended families, 20% of Americans live in multi-generational households, and 28% live alone while forming chosen family networks. In 2024, one-third of home purchases involved unmarried co-buyers—reflecting both economic realities and evolving relationship structures.

Existing protections have gaps. Children of LGBTQIA+ parents cannot use current sexual orientation protections because discrimination targets their family structure, not their personal identity. This ordinance would close that gap.

Non-monogamy is common and growing. Research shows 4-5% of adults currently practice consensual non-monogamy, with 20% participating at some point in their lives. Over one-third describe their ideal relationship as something other than complete monogamy. LGBTQIA+ community members practice non-monogamy at higher rates.

Economic impact matters. Discrimination forces qualified residents and workers out of Beaverton, harming our economy and community diversity.

This ordinance simply extends Beaverton's existing anti-discrimination framework to protect family and relationship structure in employment, housing, and public accommodations—the same protections we provide based on race, gender, and sexual orientation.

Beaverton has long been a leader in civil rights. Passing this ordinance keeps us at the forefront of inclusive policy while protecting our neighbors from discrimination.

I urge you to vote yes on the Family and Relationship Structure ordinance.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone/Email]