R001178
Saturday, March 16, 2002 6:43 PM
9/11 glbt victims
Dear Mr. Zwick,
I am writing to register my outrage at the blatant discrimination in the
compensation of victims of 9/11. I am a New Yorker, a gay man, and one of
the thousands right there in NYC on 9/11 during the attacks. The horror felt
by all New Yorkers as we walked through a city with a decimated skyline,
billowing smoke, and the sounds of fighter planes above our heads that day
is probably incomporehensible to those of you who only witnessed the media
coverage. Many GLBT people were killed that day, leaving behind loved ones,
who were every bit members of their families in every way except in legal
definitions. The survivors' losses are all the same. Because our country
still exists in an unenlightened past concerning glbt issues, many survivors
will only have insult and anguish added to their suffering. This
discrimination is truly anti-American in spirit. Please do not allow this to
happen, especially in this situation. Was nothing learned about blind hatred
from those attacks? Make sure compensation is fair for all who were
affected. Those who do not protect the freedoms of all Americans, of all
people will one day find themselves on the other side of discrimination. We
are all vulnerable. We must all take care of each other.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment