Was adopted or Is adopted – which is right?

Since I came on-line I’ve read countless comments by adoptive parents who don’t want their child defined by adoption and being adopted (oh the horrors). Positive Adoption Language supports that being defined by being adopted is a very bad thing with Is Adopted being bad and Was Adopted being good or positive, it was just an event after all.

 

Grumpy rant

I’m old and most days can easily become grumpy at the drop of a hat. That happened yesterday on a comment thread on NYT’s FB post of an article. My grumpiness wasn’t over the article, it was good, it was because the PAL crowd got terribly upset in a how dare you way and we demand you fix it, and fix it now (which the NYT did)

Their issue in the headline: Given up for adoption… 

 

Dear Adoption Professionals…

I know how conscientious you are about promoting Positive Adoption Language, or PAL.  You speak in different venues about the need to use the correct language, so others will too.  The need to educate others about it.  It appears to be working because both prospective and adoptive parents write posts about PAL, correct others by replying to them using the correct terms you provided to them.

 

Tired of adopted adults being referred to as children…

I read the article below, and my first thoughts were – they are a wee-bit late with their offers of help, and pronouncing they know best how an adoption search should happen in Illinois.  Then my thoughts wandered from why now three years after the law restored the right for adoptees to receive their original birth certificate, to, who do they think they are.  (read the article first).