Welcome to Adoptee Hell Month, otherwise known as National Adoption Awareness Month #NAAM.
Started originally to publicize and support foster adoption, #NAAM has become a full-fledged adoption industry holiday, fundraiser, and media op to keep its shrinking business going and convince the sentimental public that adoption is always a win-win-win situation.
Adoptee mouths traditionally have been gagged, during #NAAM, unless they had a nice story to tell. But in the last few years, it’s become more difficult to keep us sitting still long enough to insert the ball gag. I’ve never met an adoptee–even a happy adoptee–who likes #NAAM and its specially designated National Adoption Day party (this year Saturday, November 23) where broods of children get their names and families switched out and birth and court records sealed.like they were tiny Henry Hills.
In the past when I wrote about #NAAM I usually started by reviewing various #NAAM “calendars” where celebrators were given a daily prompt for an adoption-related activity, either at home or for public consumption, but I don’t see any this year. I have found some general suggestions, though: letters to the editor, book displays, “positive adoption language” improvement, donating to agencies (as if adopters and first parents haven’t “donated” enough.)
Another source, whose link I can’t find now, suggests that we visit an adoption agency. Be careful of what you ask for. I suggest Gladney, Bethany (be sure to ask about the availability of caged kids), and Adoption by Gentle Care. Of course, you may want to drop by your own agency for old time’s sake. Be sure to bring a bag of golden straw or your first-born. The really pissed off might consider sacking their state vital records office.
National Adoption Gotcha Day offers all sorts of opportunities for merch and gifts. I will be writing about this latter, but it’s never too early to put in an order for your Gotcha Day cake; then drop by Party City for your Gotcha swag.
For the seriously deranged bastard #NAAM is the perfect time to get back into social media (if you have been avoiding it lately).
Adopteephobes and prayer warriors, especially on Twitter, are out in legion lecturing adoptees about their ingratitude and delusional grievances. With the abortion wars heating up, “Just be grateful you weren’t aborted” has grown leaps and bounds in popularity.
For the last couple of years, I have been unable to post every day during #NAAM but now that I am gainfully unemployed and living in the middle of Bumfuck, Texas, I have a lot of time to kill.beween snarking on Twitter, BN business, and General Hospital.