dojR002132.xml

dojR002132.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-13

Wednesday, March 13, 2002 10:17 PM
Equal for all


Greetings,

I am reading about the possibility that partners of the gay and lesbian
victims of September 11 will NOT be equally (if at all) compensated in the
way that heterosexual family members of 9/11 victims will be. I hope to God
this is not the case, because to rate some people as more deserving or more
American than others for reasons of sexual orientation is completely unfair,
and domestic terrorism at its worst. You know darn well the laws are far
behind the realities, and do not recognize gay couples as married and
therefore you can't cop out by saying Well if the state doesn't recognize you
as a couple then neither can we... September 11 changed a lot of
perspectives and broke into new territory and took risks, this damn well
better be one of those times.

You can do a little bit of homework -- and chances are their partners would
do it for you -- proving a committed relationship, proving a life together,
whether it is the same residence, changed / shared last names, children,
beneficiary listings, healthcare proxies, wills, and many many many other
ways that clearly indicate who the life partner of the 9/11 hero was. These
people left behind have been through unspeakable tragedy already, but to then
be ignored as if that relationship was less central than any other widow or
widower's is completely heartless. Do you not see that?

If you need volunteers to help you organize how to distribute funding fairly
to ALL the partners of the 9/11 tragedy, I'm sure you need only to ask.

President George W. Bush said if you do not side with Freedom, then you are
siding with Terrorism. Well, whose side ARE you on???

Sincerely,



Individual Comment
Massachusetts

2002-03-13