> 
> To President Bush, Attorney General Ashcroft, the September 11th Fund:
> 
> My name is   and I work as a nurse and a teacher in New York
> City .  I am saddenned by the response of the Attorney General John
> Ashcroft, President George W. Bush and the September 11th fund in their
> exclusionary policy towards the gay and lesbian victim's and their
> families.  I am shocked that we could have generated such an exclusionary
> policy after an event that brought Americans together like never before in
> my lifetime.  I'm 36.  I have been volunteering since September 11th in
> the capacity of nurse and also helping manage the relief project at   .  
> I have met so many wonderful people from all over the
> country through my involvement over the past 6 months.  
> 
> Words cannot express my disappointment at the decision to exclude gay and
> lesbian people from the September 11th fund distributions.  How can we
> pull the country apart at a time like this by deaming the gay and lesbian
> community as less worthy of these benefits than their straight recipients?
> This is the year 2002 and September 11th occurred only 6 months ago.  The
> unifiying force in this country is already being pulled apart by prejudice
> and homophobia such a short time after this event.  I am numb as I write
> this.  I am numb with disappointment.  I urge you to reconsider your
> position and to include gay and lesbian family benefits, equal to those of
> any other family unit, as is rightfully theirs.  Please set aside
> homophobia and demonstrate that this country's pride is based in inclusion
> and not exclusion of it's inhabitants.  This is a crucial and long-lasting
> decision.  The harm that is occurring from this exclusionary policy is
> already enormous and will continue to grow.  Please afford the deserved
> respect also to those who donated to the 9/11 fund by fairly and equitably
> distributing its resources.