dojN000670.xml

dojN000670.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-22

Saturday, December 22, 2001 10:26 AM
Equal Access to Benefits.


December 22, 2001

Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,

I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights
movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people
without discrimination. I want you to know that I 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 of 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."

I believe that among those killed in the September 11th attacks were many
lesbian and gay people. 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.


Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Tucson, AZ

2001-12-22