Tag Archives: Adoptee Bias

Will legacy media ever dare invite adoptee authors and researchers as guests to discuss adoption?

Promotion for an episode on U.S. adoption by the show “It’s Been a Minute,” aired on Nov. 26, 2024; image provided for purposes of editorial comment and criticism only.

Once again we have a show in the public radio universe, “It’s Been a Minute,” on Nov. 26, 2024, centering the voice of someone who, while being a worthy academic author, is not an adoptee and will never fully have the critical perspective of lived experience.

For the record there are dozens and dozens of adoptee authors who have contributed significant research to policy debates on the harm of this system to millions of separated families. They continue to be boxed out, denied any access, and ignored by legacy media who could care less about their expertise to actual policy proposals for restoring legal rights and assisting those harmed, including intercountry adoptees now in legal limbo with the incoming Trump administration promising unprecedented mass deportations of people.

And I personally object to this framing—”coming out of the fog” (a term other adoptees use, and that is always their right to describe their experience any way they want).

The promotion notes: “But adoptees and birth parents are opening up online about ‘coming out of the fog’—a term for becoming more openly critical of adoption, or facing the grief within their adoption stories.” I don’t use or even acknowledge that term as relevant to having an honest discussion of the history of mass family separation of millions of families, in the United States and abroad. For millions of us, this is a critical issue of denied legal and human rights, and such terms that don’t center the root legal inequality, promoted by the foundation of lies and deception to this system, prevent us from talking about solutions. I’ve never had fog. What I’ve had are denied basic human rights—that exist on the books to this day.

Finally, where the hell were Brittany Luse or NPR when, for instance, there were real policy debates going on in Michigan between November 2023 and February 2024, on bills that could have restored legal rights to tens of thousands of people denied their vital records only because they are adopted.

Do better public radio, NPR, and your many hosts. Talk to the experts and talk about real solutions.

Update to FAQs for Michigan adoptees seeking court orders for original birth records

I have updated my frequently visited “FAQS for court order requests in Michigan for original birth certificates” webpage.* I created this in 2018 for all Michigan-born adoptees and adoptee rights advocates, lawmakers, policymakers, and the media, explaining the process for securing an original birth certificate for adoptees, especially those born between 1945 and 1980. I hope these resources are helpful and provide information that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will not share with tens of thousands of adoptees, as part of their concerted efforts to discriminate against this class of thousands of persons who were separated from their birth mothers and kin by this inequitable system.

In addition to updating links to MDHHS’s intentionally unhelpful web resources for adoptees, I  added this:

Will MDHHS ignore court orders to release an adoptee’s original birth certificate? [UPDATED NOV. 15, 2024]: Yes, MDHHS will ignore state law and will ignore court orders, based on my experiences requesting two additional copies of my original birth certificate in mid-August 2024. In my case, MDHHS took 80 days to release two copies of my original birth certificate after getting my order for rush service on Aug. 16, 2024. The process, as it occurred with denials and delays, violated not one but two court orders requiring MDHHS to release my vital record, as required by state law. I had to get a state court to intervene after I received a denial letter. The two birth certificates arrived on Nov. 4, 2024. (Note, I already had a standing court order from 2016 when I first won my legal fight for my vital record.) See my essay, video, and links to four other stories and videos documenting MDHHS’s actions that did not comply with state law and defied a Michigan state court and judge.

*Note, I have never made a penny from providing this resource to the public, outside of the incredibly modest sales I have of my book documenting the history of the U.S. adoption with a public health lens and how my story being separated from my biological family helps explain that system and the legal discrimination rooted in law harming millions of adoptees to this day.

Some thoughts on ‘adopter ownership’ of adoptee voices and this horrible adoption-promotion month

November is the month that the enormous adoption industrial complex, all the way to the White House, promotes this system rooted in family separation and inequities that denies rights to persons born domestically and outside of the United States.

NPR host Scott Simon (photo from of NPR, used for editorial comment and criticism purposes only)

Right on cue, Scott Simon, an adoptive parent and host of the National Public Radio’s (NPR) show “Weekend Edition Saturday,” decided to mix his own advocacy to celebrate his, yes, “white savior/adopter” status with current affairs, being the election.

With his pro-adoption talking points that would satisfy the entire board of the National Council for Adoption, the largest pro-adoption and advocacy group in the United States, Simon gushed about his role “saving” his kids from a terrible fate in China.

His syrupy monologue, broadcast on November 9, 2024, on “Weekend Edition Saturday,” proclaimed, Look everyone, because of him and his wife, these supposedly discarded humans found on a roadside in China (his summary in his own words, and we cannot fact check the actual origins), are now adults who vote in the United States.

“I stayed back while my wife and daughters checked in to vote, and in that moment it struck me: Our daughters, born in China, left along roadsides, and grew up in our family of mixed nationalities, languages and faiths, were voting for who would be the next president of the United States and their city council member. And their votes would count the same as any cast by a Nobel prize winner or a billionaire.”

So, this is my request to NPR and its almost entirely pro-adoption news staff that I’ve been listening to now for decades, almost daily.

We adoptees recognize that your legacy media organization has rarely given agency to adoptees and has never meaningfully covered adoptee rights issues for domestic and international adoptees, concerning denied legal rights. Even with this incredible bias that you appear unable to see and correct, please refrain from promoting adoption, unless it’s based in facts and news.

A search on Google found many online resources published in November promoting the system of adoption.

If NPR, its news team, and its hosts actually cared about tens of thousands of foreign-born adoptees today, after Trump has promised to deport 15 million “illegal immigrants,” they would not run this schmaltzy adoption PR.

They would have, instead, have reported that many thousands of “immigrants” could be adoptees without secure legal status at no fault of their own, and they may now be threatened by the clearly fascist policy agenda of Trump and the entire incoming GOP Congress to deport millions of people. They would be covering how so many adoptees born outside the USA and brought without any say to this country had adopter parents who failed them by not securing their legal rights.

Finally, to anyone like NPR’s host Simon or countless others who talk publicly about adoption, remember you do not own the voice of the person you raised. Please do not speak for your adult adopted kids.

If they can vote, they can speak their minds.

Taking “ownership” of another’s voice is coercion. Doing this with public storytelling, like Simon’s essay, which is by definition in public spaces, happens constantly, and it’s a form of control adopters exert. In fact this story was by definition a form of coercion over someone who is an adult. The adopter, who needed to affirm their heroic status, intentionally told the country with NPR’s blessing, that he “owned” the adoptee’s voice.

No one but the adoptee has the moral agency to speak for themselves.

Filing second request for my original birth certificate being illegally withheld by Michigan

On September 30, 2024, I submitted an additional and completely redundant court order compelling the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Vital Records office to release two copies of my original birth certificate.

The public health officials at Vital Records already were required by state law to release these records by a court order they received in 2016. Instead, the agency chose to flagrantly disobey the law. The two copies I requested were not released, as required by state law. The agency cashed my check and then coordinated a strategy with a Michigan court how to force an adoptee to take steps that are not prescribed by law. This has been a practice, according to a court official I spoke to anonymously, for two decades—and this is illegal.

I then requested and then received in late September 2024 the necessary court order from the 3rd Circuit Court of Michigan, in Detroit, ordering MDHHS to surrender the two original birth certificates I requested. This court order already was in the agency’s files.

I mailed in that order with a letter reminding MDHHS it had received my request for my records in mid-August six weeks earlier and was failing to adhere to the law.

This has happened to other adoptees in other states, where public health bureaucrats violate law and harm adoptees intentionally, often without any consequences and certainly no investigation of willful wrongdoing in managing critical vital records of a person’s original identity—the single most important vital record of all persons.

I am now waiting for my two original birth certificate copies.

This is the third video in my series documenting the state’s handling of vital records requests by adult adoptees, specifically those who have already secured a legal court order forcing the state to release a copy of an adoptee’s original birth certificate without any barrier such as requests for additional court orders for duplicate copies. I will post another video update on how Vital Records complies, finally, or continues to remain in violation of state managing vital records.

See my first video that I posted when I filed by request for two extra copies of my original birth certificate and my video made after I filed a request for a redundant court order that is not required by law for MDHHS to release my vital record it must do by law already.

AI will only harm adoptees and promote the adoption system’s lies and deception

An AI-image generator tool created these images when I asked it to generate a photo illustration of “Adoptee rights in Michigan.”

In early May, I asked ChatGPT to write an article based on this question: “I need an article about adoptee rights in Michigan.”

I wanted to see, by chance, if any of the minor content I contributed online, amid the countless regurgitated media stories with outright false information about adoption, its history, and its denial of basic legal and human rights to countless thousands of adopted in Michigan, had any impact.

I know, it was an absurd idea to think that me, a gnat in the mighty giant and swirling cesspool of global adoption storytelling and lies surrounding U.S. and global intercountry adoption, might have had an impact.

I know you’re not surprised with my finding that nothing I contributed to scholarship and public understanding of denied legal rights to Michigan adoptees made it into the artificial intelligence factory machine that consistently is flagged for sharing false information, particularly about marginalized groups.

In fact the article had no mention of the latest stalled efforts to restore basic legal rights to Michigan adoptees in 2024.

For me it served as an important reality check that all of the harm adoptees suffer from the institutionalized lies and deception about U.S. adoption history and practices will only be super charged as AI-driven information generation takes over all communications platforms.

I can’t fight it.

I can’t beat it.

However, I will occasionally call out the deception and lies that can broadly be called adoption propaganda.  

To my adoptee colleagues out there, I think your best bet will be to be aware that stories like what you will see below are coming. In fact they have probably been bubbling around the internet now for many months.

This information will be parroted and retained by most people, and your stories will continue to be ignored, as they have been for decades, I fear.

Be sure to practice good care and take comfort that others out there who are in your situation will see the lies for what they have always been.

Question posed to ChatGPT on May 9, 2024, with my editorial comments included in brackets and capitalized words: “I need an article about adoptee rights in Michigan.” 

The ChatGPT response: Title: Understanding Adoptee Rights in Michigan: A Guide to Accessing Birth Records and Unraveling Legal Complexities

 Introduction: Adoptee rights have been a topic of significant discussion and advocacy across the United States, including in Michigan. The journey to access birth records and understand legal complexities can be daunting for adoptees navigating their identity and personal history. In this article, we delve into the landscape of adoptee rights in Michigan, exploring the legal framework, recent developments, and avenues for obtaining vital information.

Legal Framework: Michigan’s adoption laws have evolved over the years, shaping the rights and access of adoptees to their original birth records. Historically, Michigan, like many states, sealed original birth records upon adoption, making it challenging for adoptees to access crucial information about their biological origins. However, in recent decades, there have been significant shifts towards greater transparency and access.

In 2014, Michigan passed legislation allowing adult adoptees born in the state to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate upon request. This marked a significant milestone in adoptee rights, granting individuals the opportunity to reclaim a fundamental aspect of their identity. The law, however, included provisions for birth parents to redact their names from the birth certificate if they wished to remain anonymous. [THIS IS WILDLY FALSE INFORMATION. LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW IN 2015 BY FORMER GOP GOV. RICK SNYDER ALLOWED ADOPTION AGENCIES TO REFUSE SERVICE TO SOME FAMILIES BASED ON ALLEGED FAITH OBJECTIONS. A 2014 LAW SIGNED BY SNYDER EXPANDED LEGALS RIGHTS TO SO-CALLED “PUTATIVE FATHERS.”]

Recent Developments: Since the implementation of the 2014 law, there have been ongoing discussions and efforts to further enhance adoptee rights in Michigan. Advocacy groups, adoptee organizations, and lawmakers continue to push for legislative reforms that promote greater transparency and remove barriers to accessing birth records. [THIS ONLY STARTED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS FOR REAL REFORM.]

One notable development is the movement towards unrestricted access to original birth certificates, allowing adoptees unfettered access to their complete birth records without redaction or restrictions. Such measures aim to empower adoptees in their journey of self-discovery and identity formation while respecting the rights and privacy concerns of all parties involved. [THIS IS MOSTLY GOBBLY GOOP.]

Avenues for Obtaining Birth Records: For adoptees navigating the process of accessing their birth records in Michigan, there are specific steps and resources available. [THIS IS IS A FALSE STATEMENT.] The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) oversees vital records, including birth certificates, and provides guidance on obtaining these documents. [THIS IS A FLAT OUT LIE.]

To request an original birth certificate, adoptees must submit an application to the MDHHS, along with any required documentation and fees. It’s essential to follow the specific procedures outlined by the department to ensure a smooth and efficient process. [THIS IS FALSE TOO.]

Additionally, adoptees may seek support from advocacy organizations and legal professionals specializing in adoptee rights. These resources can offer valuable assistance and guidance throughout the journey of accessing birth records and navigating any legal complexities that may arise. [THIS IS A BUNCH OF NONSENSE WORDS.]

Conclusion: Adoptee rights in Michigan have seen significant progress in recent years [FALSE STATEMENT], thanks to legislative reforms and ongoing advocacy efforts [ALSO FALSE]. However, challenges remain, and there is still work to be done to ensure that adoptees have full access to their birth records and the opportunity to explore their identity without barriers or restrictions. [THIS IS A NONSENSE SENTENCE TOO.]

By understanding the legal framework, staying informed about recent developments, and utilizing available resources, adoptees in Michigan can navigate the process of accessing their birth records with confidence and clarity. [THAT’S PURE MALARKY; NONE OF THIS IS TRUE.] Ultimately, the journey towards reclaiming one’s identity is a deeply personal and transformative experience, and adoptees deserve full support and empowerment every step of the way. [THIS IS MORE GOOBLY GOOP.]