dojA003366.xml

dojA003366.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-19

Wednesday, December 19, 2001 2:04 PM
Aid for domestic partners


December 19, 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, and also as a active member of the Catholic church.
I urge you to 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 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 lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks.
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.

I know this is a politically charged issue, but courage to take the right
stance, the most humane and compassionate stance possible, is what I urge
you to do. I reiterate that I am Catholic simply to let you know that
there are those of us who might on the surface appear conservative, who do
not support exclusion of aid to people of any sexual orientation, provided
they were dependent on a victim of the Sept. 11 attacks. 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. Thank you
for considering my concerns.


Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Boulder, CO

2001-12-19