Excuse our language, but what fuckery is abroad in Connecticut?
SB972 opens records access to approximately 30,000 Connecticut adoptees born before October 1983 left behind when a compromise passed a few years ago that restored access to adoptees born after that date, The bill has been gliding through with little problem (that we know of.) Bastard Nation is not affiliated with Access Connecticut but we follow the bill’s progress and support it with testimony emails, and phone calls when needed, SB972 has dozens of sponsors and hundreds of individual and organizational supporters, You can read testimony here
Connecticut is reaching the end of the session, and the bill was passed on to the Senate floor for a vote, Unfortunately, over several years, every time similar measures seem ready to pass something gums it up, This year the gum is named Senator Heather Somers (R- Groton)
During Tueday’s floor debate Somers introduced an amendment that guts the bill. Not only that but takes away, for all intents and purposes. the already established right of adoptees eligible to access their OBCs. Sen Somers wants to require a father’s man’s name to be on the original birth certificate before being released to an adult adoptee. Ironically Sen Somers, says that the current law is “anti-woman.” Showing her adopteephobia, Somers added that the current law “opens wounds from the past, implying we are runny sores.
Access Connecticut sent out an action alert asking people to contact Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff to tell him to bring the bill back to the floor and to reject the Somers Amendment and tell him what you think of it while you are at it. They did.
Just a few minutes ago the Senate voted down the Somers Amendment and passed the bill as written: unrestricted.
The bill now goes to the House.
Batard Nation sent this letter.
(Also see The Presence of Man, Greg Luce, Adoptee Rights Law Center for more thought on the Somers Amendment)
Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization
bastards.org 614-372-5535 @BastardsUnite
May 29, 2019
No amendments to SB972—Unrestricted access to Original Birth Certificates
Dear Sen Duff:
Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization is the largest adoptee civil rights organization in the United States. We support only full unrestricted access for all adopted persons, to their original birth certificates (OBC) and related documents.
We are not affiliated with Access Connecticut, but we fully support HB972 as written. The bill restores the right of OBC access to Connecticut adoptees born before October 1, 1983, Adoptees after that date already enjoy full unrestricted access. This bill simply levels the playing field and recognizes that all the state’s adoptees have a right to birth records, not just some. The bill has the backing of hundreds of individuals, adoptee rights, adoption reform, and child welfare organizations and agencies as well as adoption and adoption law professionals. Their testimonies, including ours, can be found on the HB972 bill page.
We were astounded, then, to learn about the amendment to HB972 introduced by Sen. Heather Somers on Tuesday. The amendment requires a father’s name to be on the original birth certificate before being released to an adult adoptee. It not only blocks access rights for pre-1983 adoptees but rescinds the right of thousands of post-1983 adoptees who enjoy unfettered access.
The names of unmarried fathers generally were not permitted to be placed on birth certificates. (With a few exceptions, husbands are considered legal fathers and their names are placed automatically on birth documents.) If names of unmarried fathers were included initially on the application, the hospital or the state usually removed the names later; thus, erasing half of adoptee histories from the public record. Practically speaking, since the overwhelming majority of adoptees were born out-of-wedlock, the Somers amendment virtually restricts and rescinds access for the entire state. Back to square one!
This Somers Amendment makes no sense. While other states are unsealing OBCs and even state-held adoption files to adult adoptees Sen Somers seeks to turn back the clock and restore shame and stigma to adoption. That barn door closed long ago.
The Somers amendment is discriminating, abhorrent, and punitive It is probably unconstitutional, singling out “illegitimately-born” adoptees as ineligible to receive a vital record while “legitimately-born “adoptees can. If the bill passes with this amendment, it will surely be challenged.
Sen. Somers claims that HB972 is anti-woman, despite the support of a coalition of 15 women’s organizations, including the National Organization for Women.
The Somers amendment is clearly an ugly attempt to scuttle HB972 and the rights of Connecticut adoptees overall.
Bastard Nation is glad that SB972 is up for a floor discussion, but the discussion cannot include a discriminatory amendment that not only ignores but rescinds our rights. The State of Connecticut, through earlier legislation already recognizes the adoptee rights to his or her own OBC. Passing the Somers amendment or any other restriction is an insult to adoptees who already have access and to those who don’t yet and are counting for the legislature to fix it.
We urge that SB972 be passed as written with no amendments.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Marley E Greiner
Executive Chair
New York Adoptee Rights Coalition
I’m so glad the Senate voted down the Somers Amendment and passed the bill as written with no restrictions. It’s kind of shocking that the amendment was considered at all.