MASSACHUSETTS BLACKLISTS ADOPTED ADULTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
_____________________________________________________________________________
March 22, 2007
If the legislature has its way, some Massachusetts adoptees may soon find themselves on a state-established blacklist that bars them from accessing their own original birth certificates because of the date of their birth. Other adoptees, however, born, during the “correct” timeframes will be allowed access.
Blacklist Bills SB 63 and SB 77, passed unanimously on March 21, by the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Disabled Persons create two categories of adoptees. Adoptees born on or before July 17, 1974 and on or after January 1, 2008 will be allowed unconditional access to their original birth certificates now sealed by the state. Adoptees born between those dates, will continue to be governed by current Massachusetts adoption law and forced to get a court order to get their own birth certificates. If they’re lucky.
Adoptees and their families should look their legislators in the eye and ask the very important question: what makes one adoptee worthy and another one not? And tell them SB 63 and SB 77 are not acceptable–for anybody.
SB 63 and SB 77 turn back the clock. While other states, including neighboring New Hampshire, move forward to restore the right of all adopted persons to access their own birth certificates and other state-held records about themselves, Massachusetts lawmakers have decided to toss thousands of the state’s adoptees in a 34 year black hole. These politicians claim that the state needs to “honor” promises it allegedly made to women who relinquished between the black hole dates (including the rest of this year!) that their names would not be revealed to their offspring. These “implied promises” have been debunked by legal scholars, activists, natural mothers, and the documents themselves which offer no promises implied or otherwise.
Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization is the largest adoptee rights group in North America. We advocate for unconditional access to original birth documents for ALL ADOPTED ADULTS. Bastard Nation vigorously opposes SB 63 and AB 77. We are outraged by the discriminatory actions of the Joint Committee.
Bastard Nation leaves no adoptees behind. Neither should Massachusetts.
(Other commentary about these bills can be found on below)
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