Sidelined survivors? Already grief-stricken, same-sex partners of terrorist attack victims may have to fight for equal benefits. (Terrorism Aftermath).Millions of dollars have poured into public and private relief agencies since the September 11 terrorist attacks. But activists worry that the lack of legal recognition of same-sex relationships may make it hard for surviving partners of gay and lesbian victims to obtain benefits equal to those of straight spouses. "With few exceptions, the people at relief agencies are not hostile," said Matt Foreman Matt Foreman may be:
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of gay political group. "But the bureaucratic systems and processes they represent and work in are" when it comes to recognizing gay survivors and partners. Foreman said officials of the American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. , for example, have promised his group that they would "treat surviving partners as spouses. But so far they haven't produced a written system for how that would would work, and that's ridiculous." Red Cross spokeswoman Kelly Alexander confirmed that "there are no specific guidelines" for dealing with same-sex partners but added that "if the person listed as the next of kin The blood relatives entitled by law to inherit the property of a person who dies without leaving a valid will, although the term is sometimes interpreted to include a relationship existing by reason of marriage. Cross-references Descent and Distribution. is the partner of a same-sex couple A same-sex couple is a pair of people of the same gender who pursue a romantic or sexual relationship together. The term "same-sex relationship" may be used when the sexual orientation of participants in a same-sex relationship is not known. , then that's who we deal with." The Red Cross has no bias against gay men or lesbians, she said: "We're trying to do as much as we can for them. If people come to us with a legitimate claim, we will help them out." ESPA ESPA Elementary School Proficiency Assessment ESPA European Sport Pilot Association ESPA Empire State Pride Agenda (NY lesbian and gay political organization) ESPA Easter Seals Project Action ESPA Empire State Petroleum Association and other organizations are helping gay people maneuver through the kinds of help that may be available--an effort to which New York governor George Pataki pledged his support at an ESPA dinner on October 4. Not surprisingly, their efforts are being criticized by conservatives. The Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition The Traditional Values Coalition is a Christian Right organization that claims to represent over 43,000 conservative Christian churches throughout the United States of America. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. told The Washington Post that gay people are "taking advantage of this national tragedy to promote their agenda." But Foreman said that couldn't be further from the truth. "We're asking survivors to contact us so we can help them," he said. "We can help advocate for them so that their families will be treated fairly and equitably." Contact Empire State Pride Agenda via www.advocate.com |
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