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Press Conference to Announce Establishment of 'September 11 Gay & Lesbian Family Fund'
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(NEW YORK, December 11, 2001) — On Thursday, December 13, the Empire State Pride Agenda and the Stonewall Community Foundation will announce the establishment of the "September 11 Gay & Lesbian Family Fund" to assist the surviving partners of gay and lesbian individuals killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks. With $140,000 in donations, the fund will be administered by the New York Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, and will be divided equally among the estimated three-dozen surviving partners.
Two surviving partners will be part of the press conference.
Speakers from the gay advocacy groups, including Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, will talk about the barriers faced by gay and lesbian survivors in obtaining assistance from relief organizations, and state and federal government agencies due to lack of legal recognition of gay families. "Gay and lesbian life partners have been denied the bedrock government benefits -- like Workers Compensation and Social Security -- afforded automatically to spouses, " said Joe Grabarz, Executive Director of the Pride Agenda, the statewide civil rights and political advocacy organization. "We felt we needed to do something to help offset this discrimination."
Survivors in attendance will be available for interviews following the press conference. For details, call Amanda Scioscia at 212-809-8585 ext. 241.
WHAT: Press conference to announce the establishment of “September 11 Gay & Lesbian Family Fund” WHO: Surviving partners; Joe Grabarz, Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda; Bill Mattle, Executive Director of Stonewall Community Foundation; Richard Haymes, Executive Director of NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project; Jennifer Middleton, Staff Attorney with Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; Matt Foreman, former Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda WHERE: Conference space at Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, 240 West 35th Street, Suite 200, New York City WHEN: Thursday, December 13 at noon; Camera Crew Set-up at 11:30 AM
Please RSVP Amanda Scioscia at 212-809-8585 ext 241 / pager: 1-888-987-1971 For questions about facilities capabilities, call Clarence Patton at 212-714-1184
Contact:Amanda Scioscia 212-809-8585 x 241, 888-987-1971 (pager)
Jennifer Middleton 212-809-8585 x 213
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