A003367
Wednesday, December 19, 2001 2:05 PM
September 11 Fund
December 19, 2001
Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,
I write as a member of Amnesty International, 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, the
United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards,
including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary
discrimination.
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you
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. 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.
From what I have heard, there is plenty of money to go around for all the
victims, and there is no reason to exclude anyone on the basis of a
right-wing or any other political agenda. Now is the time for compassion:
the life partners of gay and lesbians are surely suffering as much as other
survivors. Why create more pain and strife by attempting to exclude them?
Isn't there enough in the world already?
Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Agoura Hills, CA