dojN000965.xml
Title
dojN000965.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Date Entered
2001-12-26
September 11 Email: Body
Wednesday, December 26, 2001 6:11 PM
LGBT community deserves equal rights!
December 26, 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, in support of 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 (at the very least) 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 or 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."
Many members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community were
killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, 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. This is a crime! How horrible it must be that these families had
to face not only such a loss, but also another "slap on the hand" from our
heterosexist society. 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. Love has no
borders! Gender, marital status, race, or religion; these families all
deserve equal compensation to that of heterosexual married
couples/families.
Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that ALL surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.
Individual Comment
Millbrae, Ca
LGBT community deserves equal rights!
December 26, 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, in support of 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 (at the very least) 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 or 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."
Many members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community were
killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, 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. This is a crime! How horrible it must be that these families had
to face not only such a loss, but also another "slap on the hand" from our
heterosexist society. 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. Love has no
borders! Gender, marital status, race, or religion; these families all
deserve equal compensation to that of heterosexual married
couples/families.
Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that ALL surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.
Individual Comment
Millbrae, Ca
September 11 Email: Date
2001-12-26
Collection
Citation
“dojN000965.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 11, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/28917.