Legislature...

Tomorrow several of us are going before the legislature. Us...is a collection of adoptees, adoptive parents, birthmothers. There is a Senate Bill that we are trying to get passed. It is for adoptees to access their original birth certificates. Think about this....say you were born Susan Ann Smith on 3/12/89, but you don't know any of this cuz your birth certificate says your name is Melinda Renee Jones born 3/12/89. So, if you are an adoptee you have 2 birth certificates but only one you are able to get, you are not allowed to get the original one. You cannot know your biological background unless you search for your birthmother or birthfather and that is a very difficult thing to do for many. There are many adoptees that have 2 different birth dates on their birth certificates, people have known to either lie or change the birth dates for reasons unknown or just plain old make mistakes.
The original birth certificate is sealed away in the courthouse and it takes a court order to get it and an adoptee has to have real good reasons to want it. Curiosity will not get it. The claim is that birthmothers were promised anonymity. As a birthmother I was never promised that. I cannot imagine a birthmother not wanting to know their child.
So, wish us luck, it is Tuesday at 1:00 pm.