R002517
Thursday, March 21, 2002 12:35 PM
About the compensation funds for Gays and Lesbians.
To whom it may concern,
I write today on behalf of many of my Gay and Lesbian friends in this
country, includng myself. As a native New Yorker the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11 were shocking and yet had a very positive outlook that is still
very visible today, 6 months after the attack. It really bought out the
true meaning of what it is to be an American, and even though I am Latino,
of Mexican descent, I am very proud of being of American. What really got
my attention though was that, at the time of the attacks we all became
united no matter what and after the attacks, a certain minority group has
been excluded from a lot of compensation funds. I, of course am speaking of
the Gay's and Lesbians that where directly affected by the Sept. 11 attacks,
whether they lost a partner or where injured, we still seem to be in the
blue, like the other side of America that America wants to forget. To make
a long story short, put it this way, imagine that your son or daughter came
out to you and told you that they were gay/lesbian. After you get pass the
surprise/shock you as any other parent in this country want the best for
your kid. Now imagine your gay/lesbian son/daughter finds their partner and
they decided to have a commitment ceremony. Let's say 3 months later your
son/daughter losses his/her partner and the surviving partner had still, to
pay the funeral cost, hospital bills, medicine, and on top of that bills at
home and whatever else would come up. There is no way that the surviving
partner can pay all that and move on easily, and with heterosexual couples,
it would be easier. Now imagine if you where in that spot, just because of
your orientation, that extra needed money is going to be taken way from you.
You think about it, the balls in your court and hey, your only going to be
affecting hundreds of people if you decided not to include Gays and Lesbians
under your compensation fund, but then again, the balls on your court.
Thank you for your time,
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