Dear Adoptive Parents and Adoption Agencies

Upfront, I’m leaping to the conclusion that one of yours (APs) felt the need to complain to twitter about an adoption meme. A meme that was pretty tame if I do say so myself.

A meme that had to have been created by adoptee.

 

Birthdays & Names

If you are adopted…

And adopted shortly after birth…

 

Happy for New York Adoptees

Adoptees from New York now have the right to their original birth certificates; in the first 48 hours 3600 online applications were made. There’s an estimated 650,000 adoptees from New York per this article: New York Adoptees Rush to Request Birth Certificates, After Years of Blocked Access. Adoptee Rights Law has details on how the new law works: Updated Info on New York’s New Law

Congratulations to everyone who has fought to change the law in the last 40 odd years and to all adoptees from New York. Now the challenge is to get the changes made to the NY Law known by adoptees from NY, seems easy but there are still adoptees from states who have changed the law regarding their original birth certificate, who have no idea they can order theirs.

 

Difference between open adoption and open records

I read a question to an adoptee who was just venturing outside of her own adoption about her view on open records, as if, every adoptee comes complete with unlimited knowledge about all things adoption. The adoptee responded by talking about their feelings and concerns on open adoption. I’m not sure why some adoptive parents still need to ask every adoptee they meet about how they feel about ‘open records’, and of course, they didn’t clear up the confusion the adoptee had between the subject asked and the subject of her answer given, hence this post.

 

It’s Time For Change!

By Shadow

I can, so, relate to this Twitter post and thread, make sure you read the comments. 

 

So, there was this guy on twitter…

Last July, there was a guy on twitter that sparked this post.  And no, not even a few months later am I a fan of naming folks, would rather just talk about the attitude.  He blocked me 🙂 and checking later, he’d deleted at least one of his tweets, I also double checked to make sure I’ve portrayed it accurately.  This guy, Billy, was upset that adoptees in New York want the same right others born in New York have; access to, and the right to receive a copy of their original birth certificate (OBC), he also seems upset that any adoptee anywhere could have that right.

 

Dear Expectant Moms considering adoption (aka Birthmothers)

I don’t know how many adoptees have found once they receive their Original Birth Certificate (OBC) that their mother didn’t name them.  I know there are many of us out there, hoping against hope our OBC will show we were named.  Instead, for many of us we are Baby Girl and our mother’s surname, Baby Boy, Unnamed Infant, whatever choice of words the officials decided to use at the time.  Each time I take part in (or read) conversations about that happening to yet another adoptee, I silently scream the following.

 

Need A Little Help From My Friends-SB 329

By Shadow

Texas adoptees need your help! SB 329 is on the Calendar of Intent in the Texas Senate. If passed, this bill will give, all, Texas, adoptees access to their original birth certificate, without a court order. This is the last week, and chance, to get this bill heard. Please help Texas adoptees out, by making a call, sending a fax, or email to the Texas legislature, letting them know you support this bill.

We need all the help we can get. You do not have to be a Texas resident to do this. Let’s make this, finally, happen!

Please check out the “Support Texas Adoptee Rights” website for information on who to call, the phone numbers and email addresses.  It’s easy to find who to call, or email if you prefer and will only take a few minutes.  You can also support via Twitter @TxAdopteeRights

Facebook Texas Adoptee Rights

Thanks!

May 17th Ps. There is a Change Petition urging Senator Campbell to join with Senator Creighton to pass this bill.  You can find it here.

 

A quick shout out…

An adoptee has created a wonderful resource and is collecting not only stories, but stats!  His tweet’s today are priceless and shows the evolution of what happened in adoption history, how sealing adoption court records from the public, over the years morphed into sealing adoption court records from the one who the court records were about.

This day in adoptee history, April 14, 1917. #adopteerights pic.twitter.com/daUY8HsKQV

— Adoptee Rights Law (@adopteelaw) April 14, 2017

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It wasn't until 1939 in Minnesota when OBC's were sealed, but even then should have been available by court order

— Adoptee Rights Law (@adopteelaw) April 14, 2017

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You can follow him here: https://twitter.com/adopteelaw

 

 

 

 

It was my mother’s birthday the other day…

Specifically, the birthday of my mother by birth.  The morning before, I had this thought that there was a birthday I was missing, but I had no idea whose, or even when, just that it was someone’s birthday soon, perhaps that day.  Seeing as I couldn’t figure it out I went to check my family trees to see if it was a direct line ancestor’s birthday.  I checked dad’s tree first because it’s the one I know best, nothing, so then I moved to my maternal birth family tree, and there it was, my mother’s birthday was the next day.

 

Wake Up Texas

By Shadow…

It has been over 10 years, since I, first, became involved in the fight for adoptee rights. All those years ago, I did not realize that what I had gained so easily, was a luxury to other adoptees. Sure, I had a hereditary eye disease, that would cause my total blindness, as my ace in the hole, and the knowledge of my biology handed me on a silver platter, but what was the big deal. Well, I would soon find out.

 

Again…

Dr. Donna Campbell, a Texas legislator has written a preemptive letter against Texas changing the law that seals an adult adoptee’s original birth certificates away from them.  As I read the letter, it made me feel like adoptees aren’t part of families who adopt and birth parents who place.  No room at the table for adult adoptees.  She does state accommodations can be made to provide medical history, and notes there is already a way for an adoptee to get their original birth certificate, I.e. if they know the name of the parent(s) on the original birth certificate…