The following is the text of a press release from the June 5, 2018, press conference at the New York Capitol after the Assembly Health Committee overwhelmingly recommended passage of A9959B, the adoptee rights bill that would provide adult adoptees with an unrestricted right to their own original birth certificates. NYARC representatives spoke at the press conference.
Weprin, Gottfried Call for Passage of Clean Adoptee Rights Bill
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Assemblymembers David I. Weprin, Richard N. Gottfried, Robert C. Carroll, Rebecca A. Seawright, Fred W. Thiele, Jr., Karl Brabenec, and Mark Johns joined advocates from the New York Adoptee Rights Coalition, New York Statewide Adoption Reform’s Unsealed Initiative, Bastard Nation, and the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York in calling for the passage of A.9959B/S.7631B which establishes the right of adoptees to receive a certified copy of their birth certificate upon reaching the age of 18.
“Access to your personal information—who you are and where you come from—is a human right,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. “New Yorkers need their own medical histories in order to make better health care choices. And connecting adoptees and birth parents works; in the overwhelming majority of cases, these reunions are cherished by both parties. I am proud we reported it from the Health Committee today.”
“The passage of A.9959-B, before the end of the legislative session, is an essential step in making sure adoptees full civil and human rights are finally recognized in New York State,” said Assembly member Robert C. Carroll. “A ‘clean’ adoption reform bill that allows adoptees, unrestricted access to their original birth certificate, is an essential step in making sure all New Yorkers are treated equally under the law. Having access to one’s vital records is not only a civil and human right but is essential to self actualization and good public health. I commend, Assembly member Weprin and all of the advocates for their tireless support of this issue. Hopefully, this legislation will end New York State’s record of keeping personal records from its citizens.”
“Adoptive parents, like all good parents, want what is best for their children. No parent wants the state to legally discriminate against their children. NY needs to make all children, adopted or not, equal under the law,” said Claudia Corrigan D’Arcy, Director of Outreach and Advocacy at the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York.
“As advocates of the civil and human rights of all adoptees, bastard Nation hopes New York can fulfill the promise demonstrated by Governor Cuomo’s veto last year. New York needs to end the hidden legacy of shame, fear and venality by restoring the ALL adoptees rights,” said Emm Paul, Secretary at Bastard Nation.
“The Nation has always looked to New York as a leader. It is time for New York to show the nation and take a leadership position and restore adult adoptees access to their original birth certificates. If New York can pass this bill this session, it will be a powerful signal to the rest of the county that positive change is coming,” said Tim Monti-Wohlpart, National Legislative Chair and New York State Representative for American Adoption Congress.
When will the records be opened? What must we do and will this allow for the entire records held by Spence Chapin from Louise Weise Agency to be opened?
I, and I am sure many other adoptees, would and do have a problem with this statement concerning what adoptive parents want in or out of New York State:: ‘“Adoptive parents, like all good parents, want what is best for their children. No parent wants the state to legally discriminate against their children…” (quote from Claudia Corrigan D’Arcy, Director of Outreach and Advocacy at the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York.)
Too many instances of biological and adoptive ‘parents’ signing documents before final adoption or when the adoptee is of majority age and can request her/his OBC that says to that adoptee in no uncertain tems that the birth parents, and in some states the adoptive parents, want the certificate redacted of their birth identities until death of both parents, and want no contact from the relinquished child -ever. Foster children fare no better in too many cases. That is the reality, unfortunately, for the average adoptee.
As these bills make it clear that adoptees will no longer be denied the full details should they be passed that can only be a good thing. But for the aging adoptee, this bill may come much too late in terms of locating the birth parent(s) or making contact.
If there is enough time to get these bills out of ‘codes’ and onto the floor for a vote before the session ends adoptees in NYS and out of it will cheer, because passage will finally give equal protection and rights under the law to adoptees, who are perhaps the smallest minority population being only 2% of the global population.
I am not an NYS adoptee but greatly appreciate the efforts of your senate and house personnel who have championed our desires and who understand that this is a federal, civil and international right we have for too long been denied. (Full disclosure, I am an adoptee who fought the draconian and Dickensian system denying me my rights for many years. Once I figured out that I wasn’t born in the state of adoption-long before cell-phones, pcs, internet, birth indexes, and advocacy groups, I was able to eventually obtain my OBC which contained the names of the parents who had abandoned me and my younger sister. My sister is still MIA and probably does not know she is adopted or that she has two siblings. Our parents are long dead as is my younger brother. But just to be able to have names and to be able to make a family tree and to have DNA support my claims of who I am and how I am related is a miracle I never thought to have.
I will be praying that these bills are passed and will send out such a hooorah! that al of NYS will hear me roar =as well as the rest of this country. Good luck all !