A003073
Wednesday, December 19, 2001 11:11 AM
Crisis Relief Benefits
Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,
As a member of Amnesty International, I am writing to you today to ask that
the benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund be distributed
fairly and evenly to all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or
marital status.
Please apply the general principle of equality when distributing these
funds, 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 stated in their policy that they support 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."
Obviously, many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th
attacks. Since then, some lesbian and gay surviving partners of those
killed have had difficulty obtaining equal treatment at the local level in
the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies.
Please see that all the victims' families (traditional or not) are treated
with dignity and equality.
Thank you for considering my concerns.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Denver, CO