dojA001779.xml

dojA001779.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-14

Friday, December 14, 2001 2:44 PM
911 Victim Compensation Fund

Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530

To Mr. Feinberg:

I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all
surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th,
especially for the children and families of low-wage workers
and gay and lesbian families.

Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the
inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum
compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It
would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their
loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went
to those who were already well off in the first place.

The second major issue has to do with recognizing the
legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families.
Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one
partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is
unavailable, these families may find themselves in the
traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is
legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of
New York have already announced that they will not
discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The
Department of Justice should do the same.

Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to
hearing how you will act on these very important issues.

Sincerely,

Individual Comment

2001-12-14