What’s Happening in AdoptionLand this Week
So, since I had a few requests to make this weekly, I thought I should comply! I did miss last week however; I was a bit pre occupied with the whole “rebranding” aka removing all Wild Things.
Claud’ Busy Week:
Whole New Look on Musings of the Lame
In case you missed why everything looks different now, I was hit with a Cease and Desist from the estate of Maurice Sendak. Apparently some of the pro-Crapo, Save Veronica Rose Camps had tried to hurt me. It did not work, I decided to take this as an opportunity to clean house and embrace change! Which is a good thing since I did hear back and they said NO! Take it down.
Fun Snarky Stuff to Buy to Support Adoption Truths
Which led me to finally revamp the sad excuse I had for the Adoption Truth Café Press store! I had ALL too much fun there and let my snarky self have a good old time. It seems that along with the infamous Crack Whore Birth Mother T-shirt, there is room in this world for things like the “Adoption Kool Aid” flask! I’m thinking of a Rainbow Farting Unicorn line too!
Virtual Me
I gave a lecture this week at the University of Illinois! Sitting at my desk at home on Skype, talking about adoption “choice” in regards to reproductive choices. It went really well.. the student’s got a lot out of it and I got tweeted thanks by one! Hopefully, next year I can go out there and do it in person. I am be written in to a proposal for a new class on the “Politics in Reproduction”
Important AdoptionLand News:
Ok onward to the non snarky bits:
New Adoptee Leadership at the EVB
I’m happy to say that Donaldson Adoption Institute has had a change of the guard, not that I have issue with Adam Pertman. I actually really like Adam and glad he is still staying on as president, but April Dinwoodie who is the newly created Chief Executive is an Adoptee. Having an adopted person as the head of an adoption institute is just beyond super.
Continued Insanity with OK and SC Adoption Corruption
So, last week there was the horrible triggering footage of Dusten Brown giving up the legal battle for his daughter Veronica. I probably should embed that here, but, you know what? I can’t bear to watch it, so why should I force you to? It’s just sad and terrible and heartbreaking.
Meanwhile, Nightlight, Roger Goodwin and more bullshit continues to go down with the Baby Desirai case. Yup, same cast of characters, but this time the Adoptoraptors are in their 60’s and even their own grown children say they were abusive lousy parents and should not have a child!
“I have to say I am very concerned for this child. I am the father of four children and I won’t even let them anywhere near my own kids.”
Adoptee Rights News
Pennsylvania’s Adoptee Rights bill HB 162 was voted unanimously out of the Children & Youth Committee! It was the biggest advancement in Adoptee Rights legislation PA has seen in 10 years. The bill will go to the speaker, then the full House. If it passes, and we hope it will, it’s on to the Senate.
Must Reads in AdoptionLand
Free-Falling Into the Baby Rage Zone: Another Adoptee Epiphany over at Lost Daughters
Rebecca Hawkes penned a tough read, but such a needed revelation. It’s a truthful, but upsetting fact, that yes, our children are angry on some levels at their birthmothers and I have to say, I do feel they have full right to be. The is a difference between the logical understanding of an adult adoptee and the pain felt by the adopted child inside who feels abandoned.
If I am the child, I am the child who was left.
If they are the parents, they are the parents who did the unthinkable. They let me slip away.
Sangha of the First Mother at Letters to Ms. Feverfew
I was very touched by Melynda Fitt’s Sangha of the First Mother. Not only do I love having such a perfect word “Sangha” for the community we have created here, but I am honored to be the hand that she found when she was alone so many years ago. It’s good to be reminded again, why I do this work!
“Sangha is a place to find communion and rest with those who know our fears on an intimate level because they have lived with them, too. More importantly, they have survived the sharp edges and these awakened travelers can sustain and nourish our hearts when we lean into our own fears. When we take refuge in the sangha, it reminds us that we are not alone – we are in good company.”
So, what else should I have read this week??
And Coming Up… National Adoption Awareness Month
It’s that time of year again.. National Adoption Awareness Month is right around the corner! Last year, I resisted my normal method of coping with nonstop happy adoption media overload coupled with Max’s birthday and gotcha day (which is hiding) and joined the NatMoBloPo. I think it was good mentally to stay engaged, so I am going to attempt that again this year!
I was thinking of running a “30 Days of Adoption Activism” instead. So a post per day with a simple activity that can be done to spread adoption truths and promote change; signing and sharing a petition, writing a letter, etc. So if you have any good activities that need some attention, please send them my way!
I do have one thing to look forward to this year: I have a space and have already completed a submission for the 2013 Portrait of an Adoption series. I am really excited about this. It’s a really strong piece that is going to have incredible exposure to those way outside our choir.
Meanwhile.. what are you doing in your part of AdoptionLand?? What else can we do together to make an ipact?
