I was reading the NY Times online just now and came upon an article about same sex partners of victims of the WTC attack. The crux of the article is about the aid and support gay survivors will be receiving. In the beginning, the issue was apparently whether or not the partners of the victims should receive federal aid, since homosexual unions are not recognized legally in NYC. The answer was (thank goodness) yes:

Those who present claims to the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund in cooperation with the next of kin of the deceased are all but assured of awards, Mr. Feinberg said. But even situations in which the victim's family is not supportive will be reviewed case by case, Mr. Feinberg said, with state law as the guiding principle

At least this Kenneth Feinberg has a modern head on his shoulders. He knows not to mix rightist political bullshit with actual current events. However, the article doesn't stop there. It talks about the opposition. The opposition sounds like this:

"The loudest public outcry against assisting gay partners of Sept. 11 victims has come from conservative organizations, like the Traditional Values Coalition in Anaheim, Calif. Its founder, the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, has said that charitable organizations 'should be giving priority to those widows who were home with their babies' and that government agencies should not be swayed by advocates 'capitalizing on a national tragedy to promote their homosexual agenda.' "

I cannot believe that this Reverend person believes that a widow (not a widowER you notice) with babies have a right to compensation, while surviving members of a same-sex union, who by the way, could very well have children to support, are considered opportunists for doing the same thing. How on EARTH does fixing this inequity rank as "capitalizing on a national tragedy"?

I thought We The People were past this issue already, and whose "traditional values" does this guy represent, anyhow? I'd better rustle up my horse and whip the slaves into shape. There's cotton to be picked.