December 5, Washington) Gay rights groups across the US are urging people to write the US Department of Justice to get justice for gay families who lost loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

Congress established the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." The purpose of this fund is to provide assistance to persons who were injured as a result of the attacks and to compensate the relatives of those who were killed. 

But, it left it up to the Justice Department to determine the guidelines and whether gay and lesbian families would be compensated at all.

The Justice Department is seeking public input.

Already, some conservative Christian groups have publicly stated gay and lesbians relationships should not be counted as families.

In a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, Lambda Legal Defence and Education Fund, the Empire State Pride Agenda, the Human Rights Campaign, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force have already urged Attorney General John Ashcroft to act fairly in compensating all surviving family members of Sept. 11 victims.

Troy Perry, the Moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches said Tuesday, "from the brave young gay man who lost his life on the plane attempting to save the lives of innocent people... to the gay priest who lost his life while ministering at Ground Zero... to the many lesbian and gay employees working in the World Trade Center... it is vitally important that we demand that our government treat all of our families with dignity and respect and equality."