N000795
Sunday, December 23, 2001 6:06 PM
Equal Access to Relief Funds
December 23, 2001
Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,
My name is , and I am writing as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring
respect for the basic human rights of all people. We believe that this
protection of rights should extend to everyone without discrimination.
Therefore, with respect to the September 11th incident, we support 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.
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. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Lancaster, MA