Tuesday, September 05, 2006

BJ Lifton Booted from Adoption Conference: "Offensive Language Cited."

BastardGrannyAnnie
I am an adoptee who stayed in the back of a closet for the first half of my life, hiding, keeping secrets, and telling half-truths. My vocabulary was littered with euphemisms. I know about suffering - I’ve been there and done that.

A wonderful psychologist helped me to examine the truth about myself and a wonderful organization empowered me to speak the truth. Bastard Nation - unique, up front, transparent, and truthful. I am a different person today because of Bastard Nation - a better person. I’m no longer ashamed of being adopted. I am now one very proud Bastard!

What incredible irony we have here! We in the adoption arena are fighting for truth and transparency and along comes someone like Joe Soll who wants the esteemed Mrs. B.J. Lifton to expunge the term birthmother from her speech at his conference because there are people in the audience who find it offensive. B.J. Lifton’s books, all of them, use the word birthmother as do almost all other respected writing on adoption. Maybe Joe Soll needs to catch up on his reading.

The term birthmother is used ALL THE TIME, by attorneys, adoption agencies, the states, the courts, adoption reform groups across the board, lobbyists, social workers, psychologists, Google, AAC, CUB, NCFA, BN, and the media. I support B.J. Lifton 100% for pulling out of a conference where she isn’t afforded freedom of speech. And I applaud Bastardette for reporting it.

Bastard Nation fights for truth in adoption practices and for truth for all adopted adults. With Marley Greiner at the helm, Bastard Nation has fought in Oregon and Alabama and New Hampshire to bring truth to ALL adopted adults. We’re not locked up in hotel rooms talking about our issues. We’re out in the streets fighting for our issues. That’s the kind of organization we are.

6 comments:

Marley Greiner said...

Thaks, Anita. Many people seem to gloss over that this is about censorship, not what people want to call themselves. What is more dumber in adoption discourse than that?

KL said...

You say it way more eloquently than I ever could!! I am proud to know you, Marley and everyone else I have met through Bastard Nation.

Anonymous said...

You are so right, Grannie Annie! Censorship has no place in the adoption reform community or at a conference billed as "educational". Good for BJ for delining to play a very stupid game once they ran scared and re-invited her.

Attila the Mom said...

Yep, yep and yep!

Anonymous said...

I love you Granny!!

Miss Keeks said...

Excellent post, Granny!

Daughter of 2: Will it end? Only when people stop sweating the small stuff.