Letter from Helen Hill, Chief Petitioner for Oregon Measure 58 to ACLU- WA in support of SB 6496 and HB 2810
To: Mr. Doug Klunder
Washington Chapter ACLU
705 Second Avenue #300
Seattle, Washington 98104-1799
CC: Jerry Sheehan, Washington Chapter
and the ACLU National Offices
125 Broad Street 10004-2400
Mr. Klunder,
I recently learned of your opposition to the civil rights legislation for adopted adults now being considered in the Washington State Legislature. I am always amazed at the arrogance of a citizen in full possession of his own rights who passes critical judgement on a group of people fighting for these same rights, but in your case, sir, as you represent of one of the oldest civil rights litigation organizations in this country, I am shocked, deeply disappointed and sickened by your stance in particular.
I have a very hard time believing that I need to remind someone representing the ACLU that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States contains a sacred promise to all of us (yes, even Bastards!) that no law shall be passed which excludes a group of citizens from the same rights all others possess.
Do you really think, sir, that it is the “moral high road” to deny the civil rights of all adopted adult citizens of the state of Washington on the grounds that there might be a woman, now in her forties or fifties, who may be reluctant to tell her husband or family her “secret”?
Sir, with all due respects, your stance on the issue is obscene. Please review the following policy statement made by one of your ACLU affiliates in Florida from l987, and get over yourself.
Sincerely, Helen Hill
THE RIGHTS OF ADULT ADOPTED PERSONS
POLICY STATEMENT ADOPTED APRIL 21, 1987
This chapter agrees with the policy statement accepted by the Oakland County Chapter (Michigan affiliate) and hereby accepts their policy which has been adapted to conform to Florida.
In recent years, the issue of adoption has increased in complexity and has involved the interest and efforts of the courts, social agencies, and media. A person adopted in infancy unfortunately continues to be referred to as an “adopted child” even after reaching adulthood. If this person chooses (or in some cases needs) to discover his or her birthparents or birth records, they find such records are sealed by the courts and are inaccessible.
Historically this was considered to be for the protection of privacy and maintenance of secrecy was ostensibly for the good of all involved. Hoever, careful scrutiny of adoption statutes and practices has indicated that legal changes are necessary, and that civil liberties of adopted adults are being violated. In the absence of any state or national policy on this matter, and with the belief that adopted persons should be treated no differently than other citizens, the Southwest Florida Chapter Board has voted to endorse the following policy;
“Numerous states have laws or procedures which impede the ability of adopted adults, their birthparents, and other relatives to ascertain each others’ identities. The ACLU believes that so long as state and/or local governments choose to maintain birth records, such records must be maintained and accessible without discrimination by virtue of adopted or non-adopted status.
Toward this end, the ACLU believes that laws suppressing information about adoptees and/or their birthparents, and laws allowing access to such information only upon consent or registration, or laws allowing access to such information only upon court order, deny adopted persons, their birthaprents, and their relatives the equal protection of the laws and constitutes unwarranted interference by the government with the right of people to choose whether to associate.”
The political debate on the adoption issue has tended to be framed in terms of psychological issues; emotional issues; medical issues and sociological issues. The above policy confines itself to a civil liberties analysis.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Stone Farley
Chapter Chair SW Florida Chapter, ACLU