According to reports, a judge in New York City has ruled in favor of polyamorous unions.
Judge Karen Bacdayan ruled that polyamorous relationships are entitled to the same legal protection given to two-person relationships. The case in question—West 49th St., LLC vs. O’Neill reportedly involved three others. Scott Anderson and Markyus O’Neill were involved and lived together in a New York City apartment, while Anderson’s husband, Robert Romano, lived in another place.
Anderson was the leaseholder for the apartment. When he passed away, the building owner argued that O’Neill had no right to renew the lease due to being a “non-traditional family member.” An attorney for the building owner said O’Neill’s claim as a “non-traditional family member” is a “fairytale.”
Despite the claim by the attorney in the affidavit, Judge Bacdayan used a previous case as an example to say the existence of a trio in a relationship should not automatically dismiss O’Neill’s claim to non-eviction protections.
Bacdayan referenced the 1989 decision from Braschi v. Stahl Assocs. Co. The judge said, “The New York State Court of Appeals became the first American appellate court to recognize that a non-traditional, two-person, same-sex, committed family-like relationship is entitled to legal recognition and that the nontraditional family member is entitled to receive noneviction protections.” The judge went on to point out changes made to the definition of “family” since the 1989 ruling, and also pointed out that children can have more than two legal parents, adding to O’Neill’s argument.
Source: NY Post
