Restoring the right of all adults adopted in The State of Illinois to access their identity and birth records.
CHICAGO, July 17, 1997: Adoptee rights protest
SPRINGFIELD: This is where Illinois locks up its dirty little state secrets--adoptees' original birth certificates--a strip mall.
Movies
Measurable Rights: the Fight for Open Records in Oregon is a documentary by Paul R. Fournier. In Paul's words, the film is
"the story of Helen Hill, who used Oregon’s Ballot Measure 58 to open sealed birth certificates for adult adoptees. Her initiative turned into a civil rights battle
that caused a sea of change in adoption laws across the country."
Unlocking the Heart of Adoption a documentary by first mom activist Sheila Ganz. It's been shown on numerous PBS stations and film festivals, and is used to educate legislators and the public about adoptee issues and records access.
ADOPTION Adoption Politics, Bastard Nation and Mesaure 58 by E. Wayne Carp.
Read the in-depth story of how Helen Hill, Bastard Nation and the people of Oregon defeated adoption industry lies and restored the right of records and identity for Oregon adoptees.
Adoption Mystique by Joanne Wolf Small. Joanne says it all! A short but outstanding analysis of adoption secrecy and why we need our records restored to us. The book is a finalist in the social change category for the 2007 National Best Books Awards sponsored by USA BookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses.
The Baby Thief: the Untold Story of Georgia Tan the Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption by Barbara Bisanz Raymond. The story of Georgia Tann who worked her evil with the full knowledge of courts, social workers, and politicians. Between 1924 and 1950 she arranged 5000 "adoptions"--many of them of children she'd kidnapped or obtained by other illegal or unethical means. Raymond argues convincingly that Tann instituted the sealed records system that all but a handful of states practice today, in order to hide her illegal activities. Publishers Weekly named the book one of the top 20 non-fiction books of 2007.
Fumbling Toward Divinity: The Adoption Scriptures by Craig Hickman, a finalist in the 2006 Lambda Book Awards, is a stunning memoir about growing up adopted, black and queer. Craig's letter to the State of Wisconsin is worth the price of the book!
KNOW YOUR ENEMY The National Council for Adoption is the largest and most powerful anti-adoptee lobby in the US. It was founded in 1980 with Texas oil money for the sole purpose of keeping records sealed (under the guise of "promoting adoption"). NCFA's
Factbook 3 is a treasure trove of the stereotype, mis-and dis-information, and propaganda about adopted persons and their rights that has saturated legislators and policy makers for decades.
FB 3 replacement, Factbook 4, was released Suummer 2007. It's a lot tamer, but should be an essential part of your activist library. You must know your enemy. If you want to open your records you need this information! Also read NCFA's Birthmother, Good Mother booklet while you're at it.
FB4 and BMGM can be ordered online from NCFA; FB3 is downloadable on its site. Go here
About me:
The birth certificates of Illinois adoptees were retroactively sealed in 1945. The Illinois Adoption Act, which includes the confiscation and sealing of birth records, is here.
The history of sealed birth certificates in Illinois is here.
Illinois Open believes that all citizens of Illinois must be treated equally with regard to access to their original birth certificates. Therefore, want to restore to ALL Illinois adopted adults their civil and human right to unconditionally request and receive their original birth certificates, without any falsifications.
NOTES FROM ANITA:
January 5, 2008
Hello Illinois Open Friends,
The Illinois Legislature will be back in session this week. Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D – Chgo) has expressed an interest in filing an open records bill. The deadline is Friday, January 11th.
I don't think I'll get an opportunity to see the bill before it's finished. I have no idea what kind of bill is going to be written. But I'll let you all know just as soon as I know.
Stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Anita
Anita Walker Field
February 21, 2008
Friends of IllinoisOpen:
I have had some contact with Representative Sara Feigenholtz over this last weekend. The bill she and her aide Melisha Mitchell have written has apparently not yet been filed. They had indicated that it would be posted on Tuesday, but so far, it isn't there.
But no matter what, I was told that the bill will definitely not be an unconditional bill where ALL adoptees in the state would be treated equally.
Representative Feigenholtz's bill has a disclosure veto. All past denial affidavits that have been filed with the Registry will be honored. Additionally, if this bill should pass, it contains a one year period called an "information campaign" during which time a birthparent can file a non-disclosure affidavit which will be honored by the state. If one birth parent files a denial, the birth certificate might still be issued but all information about the other parent will be redacted; that is, whited out.
The bill has a prospective element and that too contains provisions for birth parents to file non-disclosure affidavits.
A good percentage of Illinois' adopted adults would be able to get their original birth certificate with this proposed bill. But not ALL. The only category of adopted persons that would ALL be able to receive their original birth certificate with no restrictions would be those adoptees born before 1946.
I expected the bill to have been already posted but so far it isn't. I honestly don't know why. I could speculate but that isn't really productive.
The last time I spoke to Representative Feigenholtz was on Sunday, Feb. 19. I told her about the many of you who have written to her, more than once, to express your opinions but received no reply. She replied that it had to do with the clerk's sorting the mail. I told her straight out that she should be listening to you all.
Representative Feigenholtz told me that in her experienced opinion, an unconditional access bill, such as the ones in Oregon, New Hampshire, Alabama and Maine, would NEVER pass in Illinois. She said that if she were to file a 100% unconditional access bill, it would languish and die in the Rules Committee. It would go nowhere. She told me that "it just won't fly." Her reason is that the politics of IL are different from these other states.
Representative Feigenholtz maintains that much of the opposition comes from the Chicago Bar Association. I tried very very hard to persuade the Representative that she should be listening to adoptees, not attorneys. I tried to persuade her to go with the contact preference form that was put into place in Oregon and is in the bills of the other open states. I twice sent her the texts of the bills from each of these states plus the text of every contact preference form. I also sent her the latest statistics on how the contact preference forms are being used.
I wish I had better news to report. At this point, this is all I know about what Representative Feigenholtz's plans.
Now I'll tell you how I feel personally.
I believe that "ALL," minus even one adoptee, is not ALL, and is therefore not acceptable. If true unconditional access can work so easily in these other states mentioned, then it could work in Illinois too, if people wanted to work hard to make it work. In my opinion, we're not so different here as the Representative purports. I believe that if you are going to expend so much energy, time, talent and money into a bill that champions adoptee rights, then you don't stop short of your goal. All adopted adults in Illinois must be treated equally under the law. I believe that we must not leave even one adoptee behind.
I tried to explain to Representative Feigenholtz that a true adoptee rights bill is different than a search/reunion bill. But she doesn't seem to get it or if she does, she doesn't want to act on it. She always brings us back to the attorneys who are worried about their clients, (past, present and future) whose confidentiality might be breeched. And that is a search/reunion issue. It is not about the human and civil right of every adopted adult to own his own truth.
I expressed my opinions, and many more arguments, over and over and over to Representative Feigenholtz. She replied that I'm living in some "sort of dream world." She says that I don't live in the real world of politics. That may be true, but I still believe that my dream is better than all of the conditional plans presented- plans which still allow the state to have control over adopted adults.
Stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Anita
Anita Walker Field
IllinoisOpen
March 12, 2008
Anita is on a few days "medical leave" but we wanted to let you know right away what's happening in Illinois.
It's way to long to send here, though. Please go up to Illinois Open MySpace blog and read:
The Train Keeps a Rollin'--Another Piece-a-Crap Bill
Hey, Illinois! Thanks for adding CalOpen. All California adoptees deserve their birth certificates, not just some. Thanks for supporting us! No compromise-ever. Let's dump Sara Feigenholtz!
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I can't count the number of times someone told me I was living in a "dream world," take it as a compliment. In my dream world we all are equal and have the same rights!
Thanks for keeping us informed and there's no action like direct action.
Thank you for bein my friend and waiting for me to return this was a hard move but all is done and put up thank you Lord it's worth it though I love my new house. Have a awesome weekend much love your way your friend always Lisa
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I will be off line for a bit I am in the middle of starting to move and my moms had a tree fall through it last night from the ice storm so I can check email from my cell phone but unable to respond but know that I do love my friends and I will be back as soon as I can because I'm adicted to you smile. have a great week much love to you my friend your friend always li
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God must have know there would be times we'd need a word of cheer, Someone to praise a triumph or brush away a tear. He must have known we'd need to share the joy of "little things" In order to appreciate the happiness life brings. I think He knew our troubled hearts would sometimes throb with pain, At trials and misfortunes, or goals we can't attain. He knew we'd need the comfort of an understanding heart To give us strength and courage to make a fresh, new start. He knew we'd need companionship, unselfish....lasting....true, And so God answered the heart's great need with Cherished Friends....like you!!
MyHotComments Just poppin in to say I love my friend and I so appreciate you have a great night much love to you your friend always lisa
It has been recently reported that the town of Brattleboro has been under attack from increased acts of abuse and hatred from Bush and Cheney supporters and need to hear support from the rest of the American Citizens who recognize clearly the blatant abuse upon the people's rights damaged and threatened by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney's acts of crimes against our constitution.
The town of Brattleboro, Vt has displayed great bravery and courage in bringing forth a petition eligible to be placed on the voting ballot that calls for the indictment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for crimes against our Constitution and thus calling for the arrest and detention of George W Bush and Richard Cheney in Brattleboro if they are not duly impeached, and prosecute or extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them.
Thanks for signing on with BEA--Buckeyes for Equal Access--and restoring adoptee rights in Ohio. Tell legislators to say no to tiered access and vetoes. Ohio citizen adoptees deserve to be treated equal to the not-adopted! An original birth certificate is not a privilege. It's a right! Make Ohio BEAutiful! Make Illinois beautiful, too!
