A birth mother’s right to privacy should not trump an adoptee’s right to know where she came from, writes Natalie Turko-Norton in a letter published in the Montreal Gazette.
Turko-Norton eloquently argues that adoptees should not have to settle for incomplete information (or no information) about their origins.
“Their right should not be trumped by the birth mother’s right to anonymity,” writes Turko-Norton. “Her background is not a mystery. It is the child, now an adult, given up for adoption, whose life is a mystery. What gives society the right to condemn such a person to a life of ‘not-knowing’ because the birth mother wants to preserve her intact life and new family? This is not a level playing field by any means.”
Amen.
How about it, Linda? It’s about time adopted people had something to say about their own personal histories. Thanks for reading my blog. 🙂
Absolutely! And you’re very welcome!
Hi! I borrowed your “full disclosure” image from my own blog.
I am an adoptive mama and totally agree! Adoption is and should always be focused on the children … which means they are entitled to full disclosure of their histories. Thanks for the thought provoking post!
Thank you for your wonderful, insightful, blog. I am an adoptee, reunited with most of my birth family, but still searching for my missing siblings. No human should have to go through what children of closed adoptions do. We deserve to know our histories as much as everyone else. Thank you for shedding light on this terrible injustice.
The secrecy really undermines adoption, Kay. I think open adoptions are a step in the right direction. Thanks for reading.
what other options do you have to get those records ?i am helping a a very special person to find their birth family .but i agree every body should have the right to know about their histories ,so they can have their question answered.but there is states that you cant get the records. like az.it should always be about the children,they did not ask or have a choice in this . so they should have the right to know . please if any one has any suggests where i can go. please contact me at my email. thank you very much .