N000986
Thursday, December 27, 2001 1:39 AM
A request for your consideration, regarding the treatment of
surviving gay and lesbian partners seeking Sept. 11 crisis relief
December 27, 2001
Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,
First of all, I would like to give you my sincere thanks for taking the
time to read this email and contemplate its message. Your consideration of
this issue means so much and gives me the deepest respect for you and that
which you do.
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 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.
Thank you for considering my concerns; I truly appreciate it. 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.
All the best to you and your loved ones during this holiday season.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Seattle, WA