R000257
Monday, March 11, 2002 6:20 PM
FW: Please read this
I am a United States citizen and taxpayer who contributed to the
September 11 Fund; I am also a gay man. And I am writing to state my
belief that it's unconscionable for the directors of the 911 Fund even
to think of withholding benefits from gay and lesbian partners of th0se
killed in the attacks, for any reason whatsoever.
By proposing this discriminatory, bigoted, and un-American policy, the
directorship of the 911 Fund -- and by extension, the Department of
Justice -- is sending the message that the lives of gay Americans are
worth less than those of heterosexuals.
sacrificed his own
life to help bring United Flight 93 down in a field in Pennsylvania
instead of on top of the US Congress; NY Fire Department
spent his last hours helping the other frightened
people trapped in the World Trade Center. Do their sacrifices mean less,
and should we be less grateful to them, because they were gay?
To discriminate against gay and lesbian Americans, for any reason, is
categorically wrong; but to uphold such bigotry and small-mindedness in
the wake of the events of September 11 is not just reprehensible -- it's
a slap in the face to everything this country is supposed to stand for.
I can't even find words to express how insulting it is, that the DOJ is
willing to ignore immigration laws to extend benefits to the spouses and
children of illegal aliens who died on the 11th -- but is still willing
to exclude gay American citizens. If the families of illegal immigrants
deserve to receive 9/11 funds -- and I believe they do -- then surely
American citizens should be eligible for the same, without exception.
Gay Americans were as horrified and saddened as anyone else by the
attacks of September 11. We have donated money and time to help those
directly affected. We have displayed American flags, and put our
hard-earned money back into a wounded economy, as symbols of solidarity
with our nation and our government. And now we are being told by that
government that we are beneath consideration as citizens and as human
beings.
Please do not commit the loathesome injustice of repaying our patriotism
-- to say nothing of the heroism of
,
,
and others like them -- with indifference and contempt. Give the
families and partners of gay and lesbian victims of September 11 the
same consideration, and the same compensation, as heterosexuals who lost
their loved ones.
Individual Comment
San Francisco, CA