Bastard Nation agrees to join the New England Adoptee Rights Coalition as a core
partner, with the following objective: enacting or supporting equal rights legislation in
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont (“the
States”), specifically to restore the unrestricted right of adult adoptees to obtain their own
original birth certificates upon request.
As part of and as a requirement to join the coalition, Bastard Nation agrees and commits
to the following: it will not in any way provide or express support, whether publicly or
privately, for legislation in the States that would restrict an adult adoptee’s right to obtain
his or her own original birth certificate (OBC) upon request.
This commitment means that Bastard Nation will support only unrestricted OBC-related
bills and will oppose bills in the States that contain:
● requirements that a third-party consent to or approve the release of the OBC
(sometimes called a disclosure veto);
● provisions that allow redaction or removal of information contained on the OBC;
● provisions that require participation in a registry or involvement of an intermediary
in order to obtain an OBC;
● unreasonable age requirements or waiting periods before an adult adoptee may
request an OBC;
● educational requirements, such as completion of secondary or any other school;
● tiered or date-based restrictions to the OBC, such that adult adoptees are treated
differently under the law based on dates of birth or adoption;
● any other provisions that would create less than an unconditional right for adult
adoptees to obtain their OBCs.
I am authorized to sign and agree to this commitment on behalf of Bastard Nation. I
further agree that Bastard Nation will publicly withdraw support of any OBC-related bills
in the States that are amended to contain conditional or compromised provisions as
outlined above. I understand that a core partner of the coalition will be listed as such on
NEAR materials and that Bastard Nation will have decision-making authority within the
coalition, subject to consensus of the coalition.
BASTARD NATION
Marley Greiner
On Behalf of Bastard Nation
