dojR002913.xml

dojR002913.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-13

Kenneth Feinberg
Department of Justice

Washington, DC 205

March 13, 2002

Dear Mr. Feinberg,

Your position on compensation of gay victims of the 9/11/02 tragedy is a travesty. You have implied that if state law discriminates against gay people, then so will you and the 911 Fund. The problem for gay Americans who lost loved ones on 9/11 is that most states do not legally recognize gay relationships, and the very few that do tend to do so only for state employees, not for citizens at large. And while a handful of cities do in fact recognize such relationships, under your formula, its's the state law that counts, not the city's.
So in the end, pretty much everyone who died - including people who aren't American citizens and were living in the US illegally - will be honored by the 911 Fund as deserving of American's special recognition and thanks. The sole exception will be gay and lesbian Americans, because you and t he 911 Fund wouldn't want to do anything contrary to US law.
On the six-month anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, you and the 911 Fund are telling the American people that regardless of whether a gay man was one of the four heroes on United Flight 93 who saved US Congress and the White House from utter annihilation, the 911 Fund plans to discriminate against an America hero ( ) because most of the country sanctioned such discrimination prior to September 11th.
If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. It would be ironic if the generosity of so many Americans in giving to the 911 Fund were used to further divide us as a people, and send the message to all that some American heroes are more equal than others.

PLEASE THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT THIS UNJUST SITUATION.
PLEASE DO THE RIGHT, COMPASSIONATE THING. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Individual Comment
New York, NY

2002-03-13