Since Sept. 11, the country has given nearly all it can to aid the neighbors, friends and family members victimized by terrorism. Sadly, same-sex partners have not benefited equally from this effort. From questions of compensation to restrictions on information about loved ones, the bonds shared by same-sex couples have been disregarded because of the country’s ban on gay marriage.
As gays and lesbians struggle to recover from the loss of their partners last September, they, too, are in need of financial compensation. It has yet to be determined if same-sex partners will receive monetary support from the Sept. 11 Victim’s Compensation Fund, and if the situation is handled similarly to other instances following the attacks, the results will not be positive for gay rights advocates.
While the plight of gay victims is undeniable, they are not alone as sufferers who will likely not be compensated. Heterosexual men and women who lost fiancees, boyfriends or girlfriends will not be paid for the income they would have received. Homosexuals are among the legions of victims who suffer without a marriage certificate.
Until the government changes its policy, same-sex couples will have to endure without marriage benefits. Though it may not be right, gays cannot be considered eligible for aid or other spousal benefits, and realistically, laws will not soon be amended to change this.
However, this evidence can be used in support of the continuing argument for gay rights. The unfair treatment of same-sex couples in such a devastating time for the entire country should wake people up to the injustices they suffer. If the urgent need for marriage rights for homosexuals was not apparent before Sept. 11, it should be more clear now.
Currently, the U.S. government views same-sex partners as equal to unmarried heterosexual couples. It is unfair to classify all gay couples in this manner, however, so long as marriage is not an option to them. Gays and lesbians deserve the right to hear medical information about their partners and to receive benefits, neither of which can happen until the government reconsiders its definition of love.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
