BASTARD NATION ACTION ALERT
Veto New York A5036/S4845B
Distribute Freely!
June 22, 2017
New York adoptees need your help today
Please contact New York Governor Andrew Cuomo today!
Veto A5036b/S4845b
Last night, in the last minutes of the last day of the legislative session, the New York Senate passed regressive, anti-adoptee A5036b/S4845 with a vote of 55-7. The bill maintains the state’s sealed records system, by creating a confusing, drawn-out OBC application process, mandating birthparent consent to release of the OBC, redaction of identfying information upon birthparent request, and a cumbersome juducial procedure in which judges determine if release of the OBC is “detremental” to a birthparent. No fiscal note was attached. New York is a key state, and if this bill becomes law it could serve as a model and benchmark for other states. More about the bill is on the BN Legislative page,
A5036b/S4845 was passed overwhelmingly in both houses by legislators– including House sponsor David Weprin–who openly admitted during floor debates that the bill was bad and opposed by adoptees who were supposedly the beneficiaries of his bill. Legislator mendacity ran along these lines:
- Sorry, the bill doesnt go as far as I would like, so I am voting for it.
- Sorry, an over-whelming number of adoptees have contacted me opposing the bill, so I am voting for it.
- Sorry, after 37 years I want this off our backs, so I am voting for it.
- Sorry, something is better than nothing, so I am voting for it.
- Sorry, we can see how this goes and maybe come back in a few years and fix the mess we’ve made of your rights and lives, so I am voting for it.
We agree with you. You are indeed sorry. A sorry lot.
We have one last chance to stop this hateful legislation from becoming law. A5036b/S4845 is on its way to governor Andrew Cumo’s desk for signing. Write Gov. Cuomo today and tell him to reject the continued abbrogation of adoptee right, and veto the bill. Send emails here.
Phone: 518-474-8390
Twitter: @andrewcuomo2016
Address: The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
******
Bastard Nation thanks all of its members, friends, and allies for fighting this bad legislation. We especially thank New York Adoption Equality. Though not affiliated with BN, it is the only legitimate no compromise adoptee rights and open records organization in New York State. We are also grateful to Assb.Dean Murray, a co-sponsor of A5036 and Rep, Robert C. Carroll a bill supporter who changed their minds during Assembly debate and stood by us voting no. (More about them later.)
Bastard Nation Phone 614-641-0294
www.bastards.org
@BastardsUnite
New York Adoptee Rights Coalition
Let’s see, the adoptive parents frequently have access to information. The adoptee has access to non-identifying information. The birth mother often has no right to ANY information. I’m puzzled. Just who exactly are these unjust laws protecting? Why can’t a mother have even non-identifying information?
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
It’s good to know something so you can be on the lookout for any person who might resemble your child so you can flee in terror from them. Right? Identifying information would be even better. We mothers would know who to block from phone and Facebook. We could at LEAST have SOMEWAY to protect our precious confidentiality. (Sarc.!)
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Even with closed records our children are finding us through Facebook and DNA and other means. Why don’t the states just stop being so heartlessly obstructionist. You are not helping the adoptee who you ALL claim to care about the “best interest of” (or does their “best interest” only matter while they are under the age of cute and impressionable?). I don’t believe you have the adoptees best interest at heart at all. If you did you would understand the cruelty and abuse that closed records causes the adoptee AND their children and future generations. When I see this kind of legislation I think you are all about protecting the best interests of the agencies and adoptive parents. It’s time you told the truth in that regard at least, even if you can’t bring yourself to do the truly right thing and open records fully. Please at least speak the truth about who’s confidentiality you are tenaciously trying to protect!
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I would love to see adoptee rights organizations and their supporters pick a fully closed state and fight for opening the records for the birth mother, on the grounds that she needs to know who her child is to protect her privacy /confidentiality by blocking the adoptees phone number / blocking them and any others who may “know” from contacting them on Facebook, not living near them, etc. I betcha the opponents to open records would RAPIDLY change their tune from “protecting birth mother confidentiality” to “we have to protect adoptee confidentiality!” I know they would. Someday maybe they will get around to telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. These unjust bills and laws keeping records closed or severely restricting access are not in the interest of the birth mother confidentiality /privacy and they certainly are not ever in the best interest of the one adopted!!!!!!!! Not EVER.