Category Archives: Bastard Nation

llinois: Bastard Nation Testimony in support of HJR24–Adoptee Citizenship

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Unfortunately, many adoptive parents did not check citizenship status at the time of adoption or follow through on the citizenship process. Some say they were unaware of naturalization requirements and believed citizenship was automatic upon adoption finalization. Some claim to have been misled by their adoption agencies, courts, lawyers, or federal immigration authorities. Some believed that it was up to the adoptee, at the age of majority, to choose their citizenship status. In some cases, adoptive parents disrupted the adoption, and either “rehomed” the children they brought to the US or turned them over to the state foster care system where they lingered with no legal closure or permanent citizenship status. Continue Reading →

BASTARD NATION CO-SPONSORS ADOPTEE RIGHTS PROTEST, JULY 2008

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Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization is happy to announce its co-sponsorship of the July 22, 2008 National Day of Adoptee Rights Protest in New Orleans The protest is being held during the National Conference of State Legislature’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans, July , 2008. NCSL is the largest group of its kind, the national organization of STATE LAWMAKERS, the people who DECIDE whether you may access your records Nearly 10,000 legislators are expected to attend. LET BASTARDS BE HEARD! Bastard Nation is planning week-long events and activities in conjunction with the protest, including a free teach-in on Sunday July 20. Details on these events will be announced later. HOTEL We’ve reserved a block of rooms from July 19th to the 23rd 2008 for Bastards at a fabulous price at the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, New Orleans French Quarter! 315 Magazine Street , New Orleans LA 70130Reservations: US Toll FreeTelephone: (504) 324 – 5400 Fax: (504) 324 – 5439Go here to reach the hotel. The Country Inn & Suites, New Orleans French Quarter Hotel is superbly located within walking distance from the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, Harrah’s Casino, World Famous Restaurants, Museums, the Mississippi River, IMAX Theater, Continue Reading →

CALIFORNIA: BASTARD NATION’S LETTER TO GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER–VETO AB 81!

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AB 81, which expands the age that newborns can be “legally abandoned in California fro 72 hours to 10 days,, passed the General Assembly a few days ago. Bastard Nation opposes AB 81. Below is our letter requesting that Gov. Schwarzenegger veto. September 17, 2007 Governor ArnoldSchwarzeneggerStateCapitolBuildingSacramento, CA95814Attention: Constituent Affairs Fax: 916-445-4633 RE: AB 81: Extension to Safely Surrendered Baby Act—Please Veto! Dear Governor Schwarzenegger: Bastard Nation: The Adoptee Rights Organization asks you to veto AB 81 sponsored by Assb. Alberto Toricco, which expands California‘s Safely Surrendered Baby Act, (safe haven law) to let parents “legally” abandon infants up to 10 days old. AB 81 is bad child welfare and family policy and endangers the integrity of every California family. Because infants surrendered under SSBA are expected to be placed for adoption, Bastard Nation’s objections to AB 81 focus on how the amended SSBA will affect the civil rights of adoptees, potential adoptees, their birth parents and ultimately the future of ethical adoption in California. *AB 81 increases the pool of anonymous children available for adoption through unethical and unprofessional practices. It erodes the civil right of adoptees to their identity and heritage. The SSBA establishes parallel child welfare systems, Continue Reading →

BASTARD NATION UNPLUGGED: IUKA PARK NEIGHBORHOOD FESTIVAL

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Except for a perverse fondness for cocktail parties, Bastardette likes to think of herself as an anti-social misanthrope. I mean, is there really a choice between an evening with Dale Hinman and a half-baked family get-together? Yet, Bastardette confesses to an exception to misanthropy. Community “outreach” for Bastard Nation and adoptees. She seldom misses the chance to table an event or blather to a captive audience. Thus, she jumped at the chance for Bastard Nation to co-sponsor, with Chris Anarchist and Yippie! the 2nd Annual Iuka Park Folks Arts Festival & Family Picnic in Columbus, Ohio last Sunday. Low key, unplugged, and easy. Especially when somebody else is cooking. Iuka Park is located in the middle of the University area, on Iuka Ravine. It’s quiet, easy to find, and family friendly. As long as you’re not electrifying your equipment or consuming illegal substances the cops leave you alone–even with a Bastard Nation flag flying. A couple canopies, a couple tables and a homemade stage (which we didn’t use) was all we needed. A storm threatened early in the day but didn’t pour all over us until around 7 PM. About 100 neighbors dropped by during the 7 hours of free Continue Reading →

RADIO BASTARDETTE REDUX: TUESDAY

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Bastardette will once again appear on Donna Montalbano’s Adoption Show out of Fall River, Mass this coming Tuesday (August 14.) We’ll be having an open-ended discussion about Bastard Nation and why records access is a civil right. If things get dull, we can talk about Bastardette’s favorite musical: The Fall River Follies or Oh Mrs. Churchill, Do Come Over: Someone has Killed Father. Unfortunately, the show isn’t streamed, so you’re got to catch it live. Donna is a great friend of Bastards and their families. If you’re in the Fall River area, turn, on, tune in, call us.

10 YEARS: IN MEMORY OF GAVI

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Today marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Bastard Nation Founding Foundling Gavirela Person aka Amy Lynne Akins. Gavi was an artist, designer, philosopher, spiritual guide, and Bastard visionary. A Jill of all trades and a master of all. Among her many accomplishments is her design of BN’s spermie logo. A wonderful memorial to Gavi appears in today’s Lizard Chronicles. Gavi’s memory has also been kept at Gavriela Maxime Ze’eva Person Memorial Page maintained by Denise Castalucci. Another memorial is Charles Filius’s Gavi Remembered,with messages to her from Bastard Nationals Whenver you feel isolated, you can call to us and we will hear. Use your breath, your precious life, and changethe world’s ways for all of us. Know we were loved by at least one silent heart. Be strong and love each other, and the world will surely change. –Gavi Bastard born and Bastard bred A gaggle of Bastard Nation Founding Foundlings, San Diego, 1996: (counterclockwise): Michelle Hilbe, Deni Castalucci, Damsel Plum, Gavi Person, Deb Schwartz. (photo by Shea Grimm)

HAWAI’I: BASTARD NATION THANKS GOV. LINDA LINGLE

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Below is Bastard Nation’s letter of thanks to Hawai’i Governor Linda Lingle for standing up for the rights of family and identity in Hawai’i. A slightly different letter has been sent to legislators who opposed the override. The Honorable Linda LingleGovernor, State of Hawai`iExecutiveChambersState Capitol Honolulu, Hawai’ i 96813 July 17, 2007 Dear Governor Lingle: Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization thanks you for opposing HB1830, the so-called “safe haven” law. Baby abandonment and neonaticide are serious matters. So are identity erasure through unsound child welfare and surrender practice, the subversion of ethical adoption policy, the circumvention of parental rights (especially fathers rights) and the abrogation of traditional Hawai’an culture and hanai. HB 1830 “fixes” something that isn’t broken. As Honolulu blogger Mel wrote after the override, “HB 1830 is a bill looking for a problem to happen.” Newborns are seldom discarded in Hawai’i.If “safe haven” history is any indication of what will happen next in Hawai’I, expect to see newborns dressed in Baby Gap, accompanied with binkies, stuffed animals, a supply of diapers, and loving notes from supposedly murderous “desperate mothers” appear soon and mysteriously at emergency rooms and fire stations. Pregnant women and new parents considering an adoption Continue Reading →

"RADICAL ANTI-ADOPTION LAW TYPES" ON MY SPACE: WHO’S THE RADICAL?

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Cross-posted from BN MySpace. ********** (above) Radical anti-adoption law types – Maine. This weekend one of Bastard Nation’s opponents attacked us on their MySpace page calling us “radical anti-adoption law types.” We assume that they mean BN and our friends, too. Our crime was sending out an action alert in which we requested that you join us and Hawaii’s adoptee rights organizations in contacting Governor Linda Lingle to voice your opposition to HB 1830 and ask her to once more veto safe havens. (r) Radical anti-adoption law types – New Hampshire At the bottom of their outburst our opponents republished the alert in an attempt, I suppose, to show their readers what kind of wild-eyed unreasonable, souls oppose government facilitated anonymous infant abandonment and in the larger sense, oppose identity theft through sealed birth records. We hope that their readers were curious enough to hunt us out and visit our MySpace page where they can see for themselves the face of the “radical anti-adoption law types” who inhabit BN MySpace. We hope that they went to your pages, too, and read not only your thoughts on adoption, but saw that you are no different from them except that your life Continue Reading →