R002709
Monday, March 25, 2002 10:20 AM
Equalty in Treatment of 911 Victim Families
Dear President Bush,
I am writing to voice my deep-felt concern over the exclusion of
same-sex partners from the 9/11 Victims' Compensation
Fund. This horrible tragedy was unprecedented and
affected people from all walks of American society.
All the affected deserve our help. Your
administration has recognized that a compassionate and
effective response will entail making certain
exceptions to general U.S. policy on eligibility for
public benefits, such as making compensation available
to undocumented aliens (and protecting their employers
from prosecution should such individuals come
forward). The same must hold for all affected families and households.
Please make sure that ALL affected families
and households receive the assistance they need to
cope with the personal aftershocks of this terrorist attack, whether the
household
was counting on the income of a brother or sister, an
opposite-sex but unmarried partner, a same-sex
partner, or a friend. Fair rules can be devised for
assisting all families and households who were
directly affected by this terrorist attack. Please
don't use this national tragedy as an opportunity to
cut out or further marginalize people whose loss and
grief is no less real because they are not
heterosexual.
Sincerely
Individual Comment