A004333
Thursday, December 20, 2001 12:23 PM
Equal Relief Benefit Access
December 20, 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 respectfully ask
that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general
principle of equality. Please include those who lost their life partners,
as well as de facto parents or children, among the relatives eligible for
compensation, 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 living expenses, day to day activities,
and the emotional bonds of family with the victim, 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 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 consideration of 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
Boise, ID