R002925
March 20, 2002
Kenneth L. Zwick
Director, Office of Management Programs
Civil Division, US Dept of Justice Main Building, Rm 3140
950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC. 20530
Mr. Zwick,
Of all the terrible moments of September 11th, the worst for me personally was watching the first WTC center collapse, knowing that my partner of many years, who had just recently left a job at the WTC, was wondering about her many colleagues. Fortunately, they were all able to make it out of the building, and my partner, through a stroke of good fortune, was not there. However, had she been there and had she been among those killed, I would right now be losing my home, and struggling to find a way to support our child on one salary because we are a lesbian couple.
Your discrimination hiding behind the shortcomings of state laws goes against the equality the United States Constitution strives to bring all its citizens. Granting compensation to illegal aliens and their families who were victimized in the attacks is right and just. The fact that you are willing to overlook federal laws while helping aliens runs counter to your standing on state law to avoid paying a select group.
I hope you will look at your current policy and correct the inequality that exists. Please make sure that ALL affected families and households receive the assistance they need to cope with this
terrorist attack, whether the household was counting on the income of a brother or sister, an opposite-sex but unmarried partner, or a same-sex partner. Fair rules can be devised for assisting all families and households who were directly affected by this terrorist attack. Please don't use this as an opportunity to cut out or further marginalize people whose loss and grief is no less real because they are not heterosexual.
I know how divisive issues of sexual orientation still are in this country; I am under no illusion that you aren't being besieged by calls from the Christian Right to prop up the "traditional family." But please, do the right thing and treat same-sex partners with the same care, concern, compassion, and fairness as all the other victims of the terrorist attacks. This is no time to further punish those who are already suffering so terribly.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Roslindale, MA