dojR001532.xml

dojR001532.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-17

Sunday, March 17, 2002 7:10 PM

In response to the rules of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund I feel I must contact you and express my outrage and disgust over the discriminatory manner in which surviving relatives are being compensated.

In recent interviews, the head of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (a fund created by Congress to help the families of those who died on September 11th) has made clear that the partners of gay and lesbian heroes of September 11th will not necessarily receive the same benefits as the spouses of heterosexual victims of the horrible terror attacks. Our government has purposefully singled out gay couples and families to receive unfair and unequal treatment. In the wake of September 11th, the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans, including their partners, family members and loved ones, this amounts to much more then a slap in the face. It is blatant and hateful discrimination.

Even unborn children and illegal aliens will be receiving benefits under this program. The Department of Justice has even promised to overlook federal law and NOT arrest and deport the families of illegal aliens, nor will they punish American companies that knowingly hired illegal aliens in violation of federal labor laws.

But when it comes to gay and lesbian heroes of the day - who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, NY Fire Dept. who died in the line of duty when the first tower fell, who was of the plane that crashed into the , and many more - we are told the law is the law and no exceptions can be made.

If September 11th has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. We were told that September 11th was the day that "hyphenated-Americans" were no more, and rather than being Italian-Americans, African-Americans or Gay-Americans, we were now simply Americans, all of us together as one American family. Apparently, that family just disowned its gay children.

The hyphens seem not to matter when our government wants to use our heroism to inspire others, but when it comes time to actually aid the families of those heroes, the hyphens come back with a vengeance, and it seems that some American heroes are now more equal than others.

I call on you, and all Americans, to stand up for equal rights and treatment under the law and for basic human dignity. Discrimination is UNAMERICAN! To uphold rules and laws that specifically state one victim is less worthy of our government's respect and compassion because of their sexuality is an insult to all the victims of September 11th and a disgrace to our country, founded on the principles of equality and justice. "We the people, hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal."

I truly hope we can live up to those great words.

Individual Comment

2002-03-17