I am acquainted virtually with no one in the adoption reform movement and certainly not adoptee rights/equality activism that does not hate NA(A)M. It is universally met, depending on one’s place on the adoptee ladder of rage and pain, with anger, ridicule, sarcasm, laughter, eye-rolling, disgust, grief, and trigger warnings. Continue Reading →
This past weekend the Libertarian Party held its annual Freedom Fest in Las Vegas. Reason Magazine has published a series of short interviews with attendees a la Humans of New York. Among them is Larry Sharpe, who recently announced his run for New York Governor on the LP ticket. (Sharpe, part of the”bleeding heart libertarians,” contingent came in second behind Bill Weld in his bid to run for VP with Gary Johnson in the 2016 presidential election.).
Sharpe is adopted, and he is not happy with sealed records. Here is what he says: Continue Reading →
New York State Asembly member Daniel O’ Donnell claimed during adoptee rights debates on the floor of the Assembly:….Contact Governor Andrew Cumo today and ask him to veto A5036b/S4845b Continue Reading →
The RNC, with good reason, is getting a lot of bad press. People have asked me if I’m afraid to go . Well…no. I go back and forth about how bad the RNC will be, but afraid–no. I find it fascinating and horrifying that the RNC and presumably the DNC–or rather their federal and state surrogates– are transforming dozens of city blocks of major cities into militarized zones to protect “our” candidates and “law makers” and delegates from “us.” Doesn’t anyone see something wrong with this? Continue Reading →
ADDENDA: Guys, word on the street is that the NY atrocity is coming up for a vote any day now. This would be disastrous for adoptee rights and would have long term consequences not only for NY adoptees but potentially adoptees in other states. Despite the shitty veto bill in MO, we have potentially some good momentum coming out of this session with Hawaii and MA. Let’s not lose that with what is the worst so-called access bill I’ve seen in probably 20 years. Please see the AA and tweet opportunities and let’s try to shut this sucker down….. Shea Grimm
Bill A2901c creates a bureaucratic, nightmarish Disclosure Veto/redaction system administered by the adoption court system, mandates confidential intermediary searches by the state, and requires judges to consider the wishes of the adoptive parents of adult adoptees when deliberating granting access to requests for copies of original birth certificates by adult adoptees. The amended language is an affront to all adoptees.
Both New York sponsoring organizations have issued statements in opposition to the amended bill. We join them and urge you to write the New York Assembly members and request a “NO” vote. Continue Reading →
Last week the Village Council of Pioneer, Ohio approved unanimously installation of a baby drop box at the village fire station. Safe Haven Baby Boxes has made no announcement–only a teaser on its FB page. Continue Reading →
As most of you know, Missouri’s dirty zombie veto bill passed the House today with a vote of 127-28.
As previously noted this bill creates veto and redaction rights for Missouri birthparents for the very first time. As amended and now passed, those vetoes/redaction demands extend beyond a birthparent’s death. And they will now moving forward be presented to birthparents to be signed at the time of relinquishment/adoption. Access to OBCs for adoptee…s will be delayed until January 1, 2018 to allow the agencies to embark on a full public information campaign to notify and secure vetoes/redaction demands from birthparents.
Continue Reading →
HB2082 has been transmitted to the Governor! Woot! Please tweet Governor David Ige, @GovHawaii , ask him to sign HB2082 SD 1 into law and thank him for supporting#adopteeequality ! Continue Reading →
Bastard Nation | P. O. Box 9959 | Spokane, WA 99209 | Phone 614-641-0294
Massachusetts H.2045/S.1144 recently passed out of the Joint Committee on Public Health. These companion bills are clean and probably the shortest OBC access bill in history. When enacted they will close the gap between the haves and have nots, the worthies and the unworthies, by restoring the right of all Massachusetts adoptees, without restriction, to their own OBCs.
OBC for MA is not affiliated with Bastard Nation, but we support the bills as written. OBC for MA has requested help in bringing the bill to a full vote on the House and Senate Floors, and we have issued the following action alert and contact information: Continue Reading →
Through those years the most important thing I learned from TLS was critical thinking. I doubt he realized this at the time, and I didn’t either, but he was the beginning of me really thinking about things. Things that mattered. He was way ahead of other people our age. He questioned and challenged and encouraged. Nobody had ever bothered to do that to/for me before. By example he showed me that it’s not only a right but a duty to be who you you are deep inside; not to be molded by other people’s opinions or desires or fantasies. I think he struggled with that himself and came through on the other side. That one is a really hard especially when you’re adopted, and I’m still working on it. Continue Reading →