New York City, Tuesday, December 4, 2001 - Today, the Empire State Pride
Agenda, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the New York City Gay
and Lesbian Anti Violence Project praised the American Red Cross for issuing
an official policy of fair treatment for gay and lesbian families suffering
from the loss of a loved one on September 11.
The new Red Cross guidelines were issued in response to a meeting last month
with the three organizations seeking assurances that relief assistance would
include the partners and children of gay and lesbian victims.
The Red Cross written guidelines clearly state that same-sex survivors are
eligible for September 11 family relief assistance, that the Red Cross will
incorporate the guidelines into its training protocols for Family Services
staff, and that it appointed a liaison to oversee the quality and
consistency of service to the gay and lesbian community.
"This action by the Red Cross brings real meaning to its stated commitment
to using a broad and inclusive definition of family when distributing
assistance to all those who suffered on September 11, including gays and
lesbians who lost their partners," said Joe Grabarz, Executive Director of
the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York State's gay civil rights advocacy
group. "We praise the Red Cross for this decision and urge it to use the
guidelines and training established here to address similar needs as they
arise in future disasters and emergencies."
With these guidelines, the Red Cross becomes the first national relief
agency to provide detailed policies and procedures on how to respect
same-sex relationships when determining eligibility for disaster-related
assistance.
The Pride Agenda, Lambda, and AVP met with Bob Bender, CEO of the American
Red Cross in Greater New York, to discuss the inequitable and inconsistent
treatment being given to gays and lesbians applying for relief assistance.
At that meeting the three groups urged the Red Cross to move beyond its
general statement of inclusiveness and put in place policies and procedures
that clearly state that same-sex partners are considered "immediate family"
for the purposes of disaster-related assistance.
This meeting was a follow-up to related action taken by the Red Cross in
October when its National Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, released a
statement saying that it was using a broad definition of family to determine
eligibility for assistance following September 11. Despite the positive
nature of the letter, the three New York City-based groups knew from their
direct advocacy work on behalf of gay and lesbian survivors that
implementation by Red Cross staff was inconsistent.
"These guidelines will bring much-needed clarity to the process of applying
for emergency assistance," said Clarence Patton, a spokesperson for the New
York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. "Red Cross staff have been
struggling to do the right thing with gay and lesbian survivors but haven't
always done so, primarily due to a lack of institutional direction.
Hopefully, this will put an end to the inconsistent treatment same-sex
survivors have been receiving. We applaud this move by the Red Cross."
The guidelines clearly state up front, "The American Red Cross recognizes
that families come in many different forms. Rather than adhering to a
strict definition of family composition, we are using a broad and inclusive
definition of family. In doing so, we recognize traditional married
families, as well as the committed relationships and domestic partnerships
of many couples, including same gender couples, who have been living
together or who can demonstrate financial interdependence."
The guidelines then provide a list of 16 possible criteria that can show an
interdependent and supportive relationship. This list includes joint rental
leases, bank accounts, or credit cards, joint responsibility for childcare,
and designation as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement
benefits account. The list also includes non-financial criteria like
registration as domestic partners, if available, and certification of a
union celebrated overseas. (This is perhaps the first time a document from
another country certifying the existence of a same-sex union has had any
type of currency in this country.)
"I hope more public as well as private policies for assistance will show
respect for gay families, as the Red Cross has," said Lambda Staff Attorney
Jennifer Middleton, who authored the recent letter from gay and lesbian
advocacy groups urging the Department of Justice also to be fair to gay
September 11 survivors. She said, "Losing a life partner in one horrible
instant is devastating enough, but the grief is intensified for lesbians and
gay men by the fear that they will be treated as if their relationships did
not even exist."
The Pride Agenda and other groups have raised about $150,000 to help gays
and lesbians affected by September 11. However, any kind of substantial
disaster-related assistance can only come from large national agencies, like
the Red Cross. This action helps ensure that all those suffering from the
death of a loved one on September 11, regardless of sexual orientation, will
be given consideration for assistance.
Click here for Red Cross Letter and Guidelines. Please note Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view this document. For more information about Adobe products or to download the reader, please visit www.Adobe.com.