A002202
Tuesday, December 18, 2001 4:39 PM
Equal Access for Survivors
December 18, 2001
Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,
I write as a member of Amnesty International,
a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the
basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal
access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all
victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know,
international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, prohibit arbitrary discrimination. The US government is obligated
to respect these rights.
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that
you will apply basic international human rights standards, and the general
principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for
compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto
parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital
status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting
compensation benefits ?on a showing of mutual interdependence with the
victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living
expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves
help in this time of need.?
Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th
attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed
have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in
the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An
inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish
an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real
justice will be served only when all families ? and all types of families ?
impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with
dignity and equality.
Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing
from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the
September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Washington, DC