MORE STEW: "Medical Adoptions" and "Saving Adoption"

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Bastardette is on several email lists where Medical Adoptions (see previous entry) is being discussed. Adoptees and fellow travelers continue to find the page brilliant; the professional adoption class continues to dither in its stew. Some JCICS (Joint Council on International Child Services) agencies reportedly have complained about the site to the FBI and other “authorities.” If foreigners read the page, they’ll believe long-standing tales that USians adopt baybees for body parts, Of course, this is blatantly untrue. Nobody steals child kidneys and gall bladders–only identities. Ultimately, this grousing is all about “saving adoption” and much of the complaining comes from the same crowd that tried 3 years ago to stick a gag in Masha “for her own good.” Adoption is just such so fragile…Clearly, the “institution” of adoption is much more important than the children it allegedly serves–even victims of sexual violence like Masha or those killed by their “forever families.” And let’s not even look at what it does to grown-up beneficiaries! Do we still need to discuss what the war against adoptee rights is really about? Adoption apparently can only flourish in secrecy. Anything–Masha’s speaking out, a satirical webpage, Who’s Your Daddy?–are clear and present dangers to Continue Reading →

"THE ORGANS YOU NEED–THE HOMES THEY DESERVE ": Send-up Falls Flat on Emotionally Fragile Adoption Industrialists

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A couple weeks ago the Medical Adoptions.com page hit our radar. Astute bastards and their fellow travelers recognized immediately that Medical Adoptions: The Organs You Need–The Homes They Deserve– is a perfect piece of high adoption satire a la Jonathan Swift (who lots of people didn’t get either). Bastardette laughed so hard she nearly fell out of her bed of bronchial affliction when she read the mission statement of Medical Adoptions (note the WASPy female child): We are a domestic and international adoption agency where parents are free to adopt a child who is a perfect match (up to 18 yrs) for the transplant of one or more “non-essential” organs to be donated to one of the adopting parents or your own children. Your new son or daughter would give you their heart, if it was possible, but a lung, eye or three feet of intestine might be enough to prove that love. Bastardette cannot convey the perfectness of Medical Adoptions. I mean this is the ultimate “angel” agency where’s God’s gift –a kid and a kidney– await you. Talk about twofers! You must browse the whole page, but here’s some samples:Profile page: (Warning! I have already put in my Continue Reading →

ALISON LARKIN: The English American –Buy It Now!

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Good news from adoptee comedienne/actress Alison Larkin! Her novel The English American will hit the bookstores on March 4. Based on her 1-woman show of the same name, the book has picked up lots of pre-publication interest. Alison performed the English American at the 2003 Bastard Nation conference in New Orleans and I saw an abbreviated performance at the 2004 Kansas AAC. The English American is fresh, funny, and timely…the perfect bastard pick-me-up! It’s a wonderful exploration of the absurditiy of the adoptee experience, personal and politically. The publicity it’s already receiving in the national media should open minds. Alison is an important adoptee voice. Support her and The English American. Get the word out…and buy the book. Amazon is offering a pre-publication sale. (see below) Bastardette just ordered hers. BTW, I have some great pics of Alison from KC. I need to find and scan them and I’ll put them up here In the meantime, here are some “official” photos. Below is a press release from Alison with details.FROM ALISON LARKIN: Dear fellow adoptees, birth mothers, adoptive parents, adoption professionals and friends, I am thrilled to finally be able to let you know that my novel The English American Continue Reading →

MISSOURI: Bronchitis, Bastards, and Biohazards

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Don’t let anyone tell you that bronchitis is a $64 word for “bad cold.” It’s not. This nasty piece of work brought me so low that I nearly went to the ER (an unheard of event) out of fear of congestive heart failure or pneumonia (at best). Fortunately, my local Urgent Care was open last weekend, and I’m on the road to recovery. I think. As a consequence of this turn of events, I’ve spent nearly the last two weeks in bed sleeping except when mulling over Britney Spears’ mental condition, watching Ocean Force, Forensic Files, and Body of Evidence marathons, and grousing over a recent upsurge in Primal Wound complaints amongst the adopted class. I considered writing here, but frankly, I get my comfort from Dayle Hinman, blood spatter analyses, and tests for exotic poisons; not carping through the neuroeccentricities of AdoptionLand. Then along came HB 1758, Missouri’s latest attempt to restore access rights to the state’s disgruntled bastardy. So far, it is a clean bill. But… In Missouri, adopted persons never grow up and are not only required to get birth parent approval, but apparently need adopter, “adopted sibling,” and adoption agency or juvenile court consent or at Continue Reading →

OHIO – HB7 Testimony Up on MySpace

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I’m really down with a horrible cold. Worse than the notorious Tampa cold at ASAIK 2 1/2 years ago to which some of you were witness. As a result, I’m behind worse than ever. That said, I’ve put up a collection of HB7 testimony on the BEA MySpace page: going from the bottom up–mine, Chris Ryan, Betsie Norris (2) and Dawn Friedman. I hope to get some more this week. I also plan to put up some anti-adoptee testimony quotes from past attempts to pass records access bills in Ohio. If you think it’s bad now….

OHIO: Support Ohio Adoptees–BEAohio Up and Running on MySpace

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There is a new addition to MySpace: BEA–Buckeyes for Equal Access. BEA has been formed specifically to support Ohio HB 7, which, as CURRENTLY WRITTEN restores the right of all Ohio adoptees to unrestricted access to their birth certificates. It also abolishes current birth parent disclosure vetoes in place since 1996. www.myspace.com/beaohio.com BEA is an independent group not affiliated with any organization although it adheres to a no compromise, leave-no-one-behind, policy. Anyone can become a BEA friend, but we are inviting particularly anyone with an Ohio adoption connection who believes in the unalienable right of all adoptees to their identities and public records of their births–that adopted persons are legally equal to the not-adopted. We want people who will visit, write call, fax, and email Ohio legislators and demand that adoptees be treated equally Compromise is in the air. We need you not only to work for passage of HB 7 AS WRITTEN, but support those who go to the mattress for adoptees. They need to know they aren’t alone and have the backing of the the adoptee rights community. And don’t forget the 1996 adoptees with vetoes who aren’t yet old enough to speak for themselves. We don’t want Continue Reading →

OHIO: RECORDS ACCESS TESTIMONY ON HB 7

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I testified before the Ohio House Health Committee yesterday morning on HB 7. Below is my testimony. I had to keep it sort so much of what I wanted to say has been left out I included a legislative packet with my presentation which I hope the leggies read. A few comments first: This was the second hearing for HB7 [pdf] (analysis here. The first hearing, last week, was the sponsor hearing where Rep. Brinkman spoke on behalf of his bill. Yesterday’s hearing was rather short notice. Six proponents spoke and others sat in support. Betsie Norris, director of Adoption Network Cleveland presented the case for unrestricted access and answered several questions about veto “protection” and reunion registeries. She was great! First mother, Jean Hood, also from Cleveland, spoke of her experience as first mom and reunion. Jake Teschler, longtime Columbus adoptee rights advocate also spoke on behalf of the bill. Amom in a very open adoption and This Woman’s Work blogger Dawn Friedman (Columbus) addressed the importance of maintaining links between biological and adoptive families and that sealed records have no place in healty adoption practice. John Adams addressed medical issues. Chris Ryan had to leave for work before Continue Reading →

OHIO ADOPTION RECORDS NEWS

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OHIO ADOPTION RECORDS NEWS! On Wednesday, January 16, the Ohio House Health Committee will hold a public PROPONENT hearing on HB 7, a bill to reform various aspects of adoption and foster care in Ohio. Included in this bill is a section that restores the right of unrestricted access to the original birth certificates of ALL Ohio adoptees. Currently, only pre-1964 adoptee have the right to their OBCs with no restrictions. This is a clean bill. No vetoes. It has a good chance of passing in the House. I only learned about the up-coming hearing this weekend. This is short notice obviously, but we are looking for people who can testify in favor of HB 7. If you cannot testify in person, please write letters to the Health Committee in support of it. I will testify at the hearing and have prepared a small legislative packet to distribute to committee members. Wednesday evening I’ll post my testimony on my blog: The Daily Bastardette, http://bastardette.blogspot.com LEGISLATIVE LINKS: HB 7: PDF: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText127/127_HB_7_I_Y.pdf or HTML: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText127/127_HB_7_I_Y.html This bill is very long so you may want to read the analysis instead. Legislation Services Analysis: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/analyses.cfm?ID=127_HB_7&ACT=As%20Introduced Pages 4-9 and 18-20 pertain to the records access Continue Reading →

ADOPTEE RIGHTS PROTEST UPDATE: Be a Part of History!

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What better way to greet the politicians attending the National Conference of State Legislatures this July than with a full page ad in the print version of the New Orleans Times-Picayune listing adult adoptees and their friends and family who support adoptee rights? Our goal is one thousand names, one thousand adult adoptees, representing all fifty states. You can be part of history by simply donating ten dollars to the Day for Adoptee Rights. Donations are easy, just click on the link to our donations page, fill out the short form and you’re all set. Your donation will help defray the cost of the ad and help guarantee maximum impact on the very people who hold the power to open our records. All who have donated so far can automatically be assured a spot in the ad. Join us today at http://www.AdopteeRights.net!