N000698
Saturday, December 22, 2001 12:09 PM
We do not have all the answers.
December 22, 2001
Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,
I'll start with my learning status about same-sex couples while pursuing a
Ph.D. degree. Following will be the form letter provided by Amnesty
International.
I believe that society's perversion of the sex act through television, film
and other media hammers a fallacy. This fallacy is that two people of the
same sex who are committed to each other and who evoke physical attributes
pegged to the gender opposite them, must be gay. And furthermore, based on
society's perversion of the role of sex in our lives--again because of the
media, also original sin--we assume that they are sexual animals.
A story I read during Ph.D. studies in _The New Yorker_ magazine opened my
eyes. Two men were profiled. They had lived together for over 30 years and
had experienced the same obstacles and rewards of heterosexual couples.
Thank God, the article did not detail the frequency nor method of their
sexual practice. On that note, though, having been married, I know that ALL
couples experience waves in their sexual patterns. In other words, the
media's tendency to hammer the fallacy that normal people have LOTS of
GREAT sex, distorts the essence of relationships--which is friendship,
forgiveness, compassion, caring.
That said, I proceed to the evocative writing of Amnesty International, a
worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic
human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access
to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims,
regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the
United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards,
including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary
discrimination.
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you
apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle
of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those
who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children,
without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New
York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on
a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that
anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities
and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need."
Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks.
Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had
mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the
distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive
policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an
important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real
justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families -
impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with
dignity and equality.
Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Gainesville, TX