Now, I don’t subscribe to any version of “it’s meant to be” in AdoptionLand. I was not destined to be a birthmother and lose my child unnecessary just to make someone else’s dreams come true, but there are silver linings to this life I have now. If I have to be a birthmother, I am a pretty damn happy one. Since I cannot change my past, all the hurt and sadness an anger have a healthy direction to go in.
Now all in one place; a simple chart and map to see where each US state stands in regard to restoring the civil rights of adopted adults.
Once again, the feelings of community, accomplishment and even the snail’s pace of progress in Adoptee Rights filled my heart and soul with renewed vigor and purpose. Plus, again, one of the only good aspect of this adoption journey has been the wonderful people I have been blessed to know, work with, and call my friends.
We knew there were bad storms about as Cassi reported driving through them in Iowa. I have seen some huge thunderstorms in my life, but nothing like this. This was the same storm cell that made them evacuate Lalapalooza in Chicago yesterday. I knew it was bad. I knew we were in tornado country. I watch storm chasers. I know what hail and cloud hooks and circular wind patterns mean.
As one week from today is the Adoptee Rights Demonstration in Chicago, Illinois I would like to propose a celebratory meme. Even if you can’t physically be there, you can help pepper the internet air waves with news and the reasons why you support Adoptee Rights!
The adoptee bill of rights would grant people who are adopted the right, upon their 18th birthday, to obtain an original or certified copy of their birth certificate and learn who their biological parents are. The legislation would also ensure adoptees have access to their family’s medical history, if such records exists, as well as any other information birth relatives might choose to provide.
Though now the trend of many adoptions are “open”, sharing various information regarding identity, medical history, with shared pictures and letter, visits, and lifelong contact, there is still little hope for those who were born or gave birth during the times of the past. The face of adoption has changed with new advances in the nature of human responses, but the laws still remain the same, ignorant to new information and ways of thinking.
The history of sealed adoption records in the US and the current battle in New York’s legislation to free them open. Since, my little blog here is now featured in the local Kingston paper online, I thought it would be most fitting to re-publish this piece I wrote specifically about New York and the adoption laws here. Since it is rather long, I broke it up for ease of…
What happens AFTER the Adoptee Rights Demonstration? The profit in adoption, happened along time ago in most of our lives. As we all know, there is NO money in the work that we do. When it comes to changing laws, the adoption groups are marginalized, underrepresented, ignored, and unfunded. That’s one of the main reasons we have the demonstration at the NCSL Summits. The good old fashioned stick waving chanting protest is…
ess than 1% of Birthmothers in the US desire to keep their adult children at arm’s length. So out of the 6 to 8 million adult adoptees in the United States, we can assume that there are say 6 million birthmothers and .993471% want to be left alone. That comes to 39,174 birthmothers. So because of 40 thousand mothers another 6 to 8 million people and their children and their children’s children get denied medical histories, get denied their identity, get denied their truth.. for the good of 40,000?
Without the San Antonio Heat! Long at last! I know.. it took me FOREVER, but here is the next best thing to being at the Adoptee Rights Protest. It does not due it justice, so all I can say is… START PLANNING TO CHICAGO IN 2012 NOW!!!! Expect a follow up post sometime in the next 3 months! I’m sorry.. I AM LAME!! Tweet
Fourteen hours of traveling is completed. A grand total for three different buses, 2 planes, 3 flights, 6 cites (Kingston to NYC to Newark to St. Louis to Dallas to San Antonio) and about one hour sleep… Worked out exactly as I planned. In fact, it probably could not have gone better. I’m going to have to film a bunch of stuff at this hotel. OMG..I’m quite impressed. Of course…
It’s almost 2am and I have a 6am flight out of Newark. I hate early morning flights, but I search and priced tickets for 6 months and I did a round trip on Southwest for.. Under 240? So 6am it is. Once agin, the start of my Adoptee Rights Protest adventure starts with being up all night! I do miss travel ing companions though. Newark airport at 2am is a…
American Adoptees Denied Civil Rights to Birth Certificate Due to archaic laws that are a legacy of cultural shame stigmatizing infertility, sex, unwed mothers, and adoption, over 90% of all American adoptees will face a life of discrimination unless current laws are changed. Wanting to end discrimination , the Adoptee Rights Coalition; http://www.adopteerights.net ; adopted persons, their families and friends will be gathering in San Antonio, Texas, during the Annual…
I was wondering if some first mother’s would mind writing a quick email to the Oklahoma legislators below and please point out that as first mothers you were not “promised” confidentiality, but that it was enforced upon you when you relinquished your children. They are trying to include language about balancing “birthparent privacy” when Judge’s consider an adoptee’s request for their records, in their adoption bill and some of the…