Grant Adult Adoptees of Oklahoma Equal Access to Original Birth Certificates!

This petition seeks to expand access to birth certificates of adult adoptees by requiring the state registrar of vital statistics, on written request, to provide to an adopted person or any adoptee person's adult descendants, siblings, surviving spouse, or adoptive parents if the adopted person is deceased- a noncertified copy of the adopted person's original birth certificate without a court order!

Please sign this petition to urge lawmakers in Oklahoma to grant adult adoptees the right to easily obtain their original birth certificates by request and without need of begging in person at a court appearance; facilitating equality, healing, discovery, and equal personal knowledge for anyone born in Oklahoma!
 

Original birth certificates are crucial for numerous reasons, establishing a complete personal identity, aiding family history, and help further personal and family medical history. Yet, adoptees are denied the easy request to their birth certificates, that any non-adopted person has!

In Oklahoma, adult adoptees or their descendants are unjustly denied any easy request to obtain original birth certificates. My mother Barbara was born in Oklahoma City and was put up for adoption shortly after her birth. Throughout her life, her original birth certificate remained inaccessible, not only to her, but also to me, as her descendant.

Unfairly, adoptees and their descendants are forced to beg in a court appearance, in the county the birth took place, either in person, or by hiring an attorney. This courtly legal barrier is a humiliation and is an ongoing source of emotional and financial distress for our family, and many others. It prevents us from knowing our family history, and also denies us a fundamental right: the right to one's personal identity and family history. 

By forcing adoptees or their descendants to beg in person in a court appearance is a discriminatory restriction for all adult adopted persons and can deter and prevent many in obtaining a copy of their own original birth certificate! 

Furthermore, if an adult adoptee does not reside in the county, or even state of where their birth took place - they have to suffer further hardships to travel and then make the humiliating personal appearance before a court and beg with a compelling reason in order to obtain a court ruling to obtain their birth certificate. Many cannot afford this hardship and none should have to!

Also, if an adoptee or their descendant cannot beg in person at court then, they are told to hire an attorney, which many cannot afford to do! It can be an extreme financial hardship if an attorney is needed, literally costing thousands of dollars; which many adoptees or their descendants cannot afford, and again, should not have to, when non-adoptees do not have to suffer this same expensive indignity.

All of these requirements of being forced to go in person and beg the court, or having to hire an attorney- are continued instruments of discrimination against adoptees; to deter and prevent them equal access to what is rightfully theirs- their own original birth certificate!

Sadly, my mother passed away without ever being allowed to have equal access to her original birth certificate! How many more people born in Oklahoma will suffer that same sad fate?!

Non-adopted people have the right to easily obtain a copy of their own original birth certificates just by request and without need of begging in person in court, or having to hire attorneys. Adoptees and their descendants should also, have the right to easily obtain a copy of original birth certificate - by easy request and without suffering hardships of expensive and time-consuming and humiliating begging in court.

More and more states have acknowledged the importance of this issue and have passed legislation or are in process of passing legislation that allows adoptees equal access to their original birth certificates. It's time for Oklahoma to recognize that adult adoptees deserve the same rights that all other people born in Oklahoma have - the right to their own birth certificates!

Please Oklahoma, stop the cruel discrimination against adoptees; treat all people with equality and respect and dignity. All people should have equal right to their original birth certificates!

Respect the right of all adult adoptees to know their beginnings and to make Oklahoma an example for equality for adoptees.

Sign this petition to urge lawmakers in Oklahoma to grant adult adoptees the right to easily obtain their original birth certificates by request and without need of begging in person at a court appearance; facilitating equality, healing, discovery, and personal knowledge for anyone born in Oklahoma!