Friends of “clean” adoption reform,

We continue to celebrate the historic enactment of NY Public Health Law 4138-e, restoring unrestricted access to original birth certificates for all New York adult adoptees! We await updates from the NYS DOH and NYC DOH to assist applications relating to adoptions whose births were outside the state.

As an extension to prior thoughts on DNA, we hope you will read and share the following.

INFORMATION INFORMS “WHAT WE ARE,” NEVER UPENDING “WHO WE ARE”

As adopted persons, we are sometimes asked, “Do you think you will ever try to find out where you came from and who you are?”  A question that, for me at least, felt both flattering and off-putting at the same time.  At first, I did not understand the unlikely mix of emotions.  But that changed upon reflection because I realized that the question had two parts I could feel differently about.

To the first part of the question— “Do you think you will ever try to find out where you came from…?”—I felt flattered that somebody would take an interest in my being an adopted person, while also signaling a respect for the power  adoptees should, and do, have in reconciling the circumstance of having been surrendered.  And to possibly do so, in part, through a search for true and complete information about origins.  In my own mind, and perhaps in the mind of the person asking, it also demonstrated an awareness of how interaction with birth families can afford opportunity to determine whether, and how much, to share of our experiences. 

To the second part of the question— “Do you think you will ever try to find out… who you are?”—I felt off-put.  Was knowing “who you are” actually dependent on learning “where you came from?”  If so, did that mean that non-adopted people who had any questions about their past did not know “who” they were?  Is everybody taking a DNA test lost about “who” they are simply because they don’t know everything about their lineage? Or isn’t it true that gathering such information, whether we’re adopted or not, really informs, “what we are?”  I strongly believe the latter.  And I believe the distinction is critical to our understanding of identity and the ongoing evolution in both our laws and culture as they relate to adoption.  

Adopted persons were created just like everybody else.  This speaks to “who we are” as beings and does not change.  The “what we are,” is everything after that.  These things can, and very frequently do, shift.  Anybody could be healthy, unhealthy, well-off, financially struggling, employed, not employed, training for a marathon, eating potato chips, seeking our original birth certificates, not seeking our original birth certificates, not adopted, adopted and everything in between and infinite other things. 

We all have the human right to know where we came from.  And, as of January 15th, 2020, in New York, something very big changed.  The vital, but basic, civil right to unrestricted access to original birth certificates was restored to all adult adopted persons.  It was established for their direct line descendants and legal representatives.  We now look to Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Maryland and all states to enact “clean” adoption reform.  This will never disrupt, or upend, “who we are.”  Even if we encounter otherwise surprising results.  But for each adopted person, whether we choose to collect a copy of our original birth certificate or not, it will enhance our freedom to inform “what we are.” 

We will be equal.  

MEDIA UPDATES:

The Chronicle of Social Change (1/17/20)

New York Adoptees Rush to Request Birth Certificates, After Years of Blocked Access, by Michael Fitzgerald

Gothamist (print) / WNYC + NPR (radio) (1/15/20)

• Gothamist:  New York Adoptees Anxiously Await Opportunity to Request Original Birth Certificates, by Gwynne Hogan 
• WNYC:  Gwynne and Tim discuss adoption history and adoption reform in New York (radio clip is embedded within the print article)

WHAT’S NEXT IN 2020?

1. Department of Health:

We will remain in contact with the Department of Health, with hope to update all soon regarding further details to assist applicants for New York adoptions (finalized here) whose births took place outside of New York.

2.  Other states:  Work continues as we are supporting “clean” bills in several other states!  Stay tuned for updates.

WE CONTINUE TO THANK:

• You—Our 10,000+ supporters!!
  Sponsors Assemblymember Weprin and Senator Montgomery. And over 100 legislative cosponsors who helped us change New York law!
• The American Adoption Congress, where Tim also serves, for ongoing support. Check out, join and support the AAC! Go to the 2020 Conference in San Diego (April 15 – 18, 2020)
• Allied advocates from across the state, including our American Adoption Congress (AAC) members and those from the New York Adoptee Rights Coalition (NYARC).

Contact Tim with outreach updates, questions or news you’d like to share! tmw713@gmail.com

Adoptee rights are human rights!

Adoptee rights are civil rights!

Adoptee rights ARE AGAIN New York rights!

Please stay tuned for further updates.

Tim, Doris and Jennifer