dojA000071.xml

dojA000071.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-11-28

Wednesday, November 28, 2001 1:01 PM
September 11 Victim Compensation Fund

To deny gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people and their families who suffered from the attacks of September 11 would be to further perpetuate this tragedy. Family, as defined by emotional and devotional ties as well as defined by legal and financial interdependence and responsibility, is not limited that which is defined by law in the United States. Any rules that will govern the administration of the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" must be inclusive of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people and their families.
As Senator Charles Schumer noted in his October 31 letter to Attorney General Ashcroft:


"The need for support and recompense is no less real for these survivors than it is for the countless other relatives who lost loved ones. America has reached out with enormous generosity to all of the victims because our common humanity recognizes that grief and loss are not reserved to any single culture or group - they are borne by each and every one of us, whatever our race, religion, or sexual orientation."

As stated by the Lamba Legal Defence & Education Fund "The federal September 11 Fund should ensure fair treatment of all surviving family members, including same-sex partners and de facto children of those who perished. Operated on a simple principle of equitable distribution of damages in proportion to losses sustained, it can serve the Congressional purposes of helping families to recover their economic security and allaying the financial uncertainty of survivors."

I and my family strongly urge you to follow the guidelines outlined by the Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund when developing the rules that will govern the administration of the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund."

Let us not contribute to further pain and suffering among our fellow Americans by ignoring the needs of some families while attending to the needs of others.

Individual Comment
Chapel Hill, NC

2001-11-28