dojR002709.xml

dojR002709.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-25

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

2002-03-25