Irrational fear drives adoption laws in Washington State

Washington Adoptee Rights Advocates in Olympia

Laws allowing first mothers to prevent their son or daughter from obtaining his or her original birth certificate are wrong--as wrong as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) continuing to bar gay leaders is wrong. These provisions penalize a group because an individual member of that group may cause harm. Not only are these restrictions a fundamental violation of due process, they perpetuate the false suppositions--that gay troop leaders are likely to molest children, and that adoptees will track down their natural mothers to do them harm. 

OBC-access bill with 'birth mother' veto may become law

Jane

"This is not my biological mother's piece of paper," adoptee Nancy Retynski told the Washington House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday holding up her original birth certificate. "This is not my adoptive mother's piece of paper. This is my birth certificate and I have every right to it." As she left the table, Retynski broke into tears and the audience of applauded. Committee members were visibly moved.

Tuesday's hearing was on a bill (SB 5118) that would allow Washington-born adult adoptees to access their original birth certificates as long as their birth mother does not file a veto (variously called an affidavit of non-disclosure or contact preference which would be binding). Such a veto would expire only upon the death of the mother.