June 1, 2008
Re: Withdrawal of Bastard Nation from A Day for Adoptee Rights
The Executive Committee of Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization announces with regret the withdrawal of our organizational co-sponsorship and official participation in A Day for Adoptee Rights, (DAR) scheduled for July 20-25 during the National Conference of State Legislature's annual meeting in New Orleans. We had planned to hold a "Bastard Boot Camp Teach-In" on July 20, participate in the protest on July 22, and help staff the DAR space inside the Mariol Convention Center July 23-25.
We sincerely regret any inconvenience or discouragement this decision may cause.
As of this writing the event itself has not been canceled, only Bastard Nation's co-sponsorship and participation. Please check the DAR website for updates on the status of the event. http://adopteerights.net/nulliusfilius/
Bastard Nation has been concerned for some time about the cost effectiveness of the project. While many people exhibited an interest in attending all or part of the event, the number of people who actually registered or made a serious commitment to attend was minimal. There were also hidden costs at the convention center, of which DAR and BN were not aware of until recently, which put our participation extremely over budget.
Bastard Nation believes that the Day for Adoptee Rights project is a sound idea. There is no dispute between BN and DAR. We have concluded that this is not the time or place for Bastard Nation to take part in a Day for Adoptee Rights. The cost of the event this year spiraled and did not balance with the number of participants coming forward to show our strength to the politicians who hold the keys to the records cabinets. Bastard Nation is an all volunteer organization that works on the foundational financial principle of bringing you the best bang for your buck. Spending several thousand dollars in member dues and donations on a project that at this point was sputtering is fiscally irresponsible, movement careless, and takes time and funds away from legislative and educational activities that can make a direct difference now.
Moreover, we are concerned with the unsolicited and unwanted participation of Abrazo Adoption Agency in San Antonio, Texas. Unknown to DAR and BN until just a few days ago, Abrazo has been raising funds for the event in DAR's name. http://apps.facebook.com/causes/85456?recruiter_id=15092383
These funds went and continue to go directly to the agency, raising huge ethical issues for Bastard Nation and the equal access movement. Records and identity access is about our rights and has no connection with the marketing schemes of adoption agencies. BN has a long-standing, hard-line policy of accepting no support from the adoption industry. Bastard Nation and the adoptee rights movement in general cannot and should not be co-opted or used by the adoption industry to promote its own agenda. We disavow all industry involvement in our work. Any entanglement with the adoption industry endangers the integrity and credibility of the adoptee rights movement.
Although BN solicited funds for our specific DAR activities, the only official fundraising site for DAR is on the DAR site. Do not send funds to any other solicitor.
Bastard Nation is in the process of working with the Country Inn and Suites by Carlson to release the rooms in our reserved block. We will personally contact everyone who registered under our agreement with the hotel about the procedure for you to cancel room reservations should you desire to do so.
We greatly appreciate the work that volunteers from Bastard Nation and A Day for Adoptee Rights have put into this event. Without them and you there is no movement. We applaud your enthusiasm, commitment and we look forward to future activities to restore our rights.
Please write to our Executive Chair, Marley Greiner (maddogmarley@worldnet.att.net) if you have any questions.
Yours in Bastardy,
The Bastard Nation Executive Committee
Anita Walker Field
Patricia Marler
Marley Greiner, Executive Chair
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2 comments:
Speaking for Abrazo, we are unspeakably disappointed if our efforts to support the Adoption Rights Protest have in any way contributed to Bastard Nation's withdrawal.
We had no idea that our attempts to encourage our open adoption community to attend the March or support it financially through our agency would cause such a firestorm.
We believe wholeheartedly in adoptee rights and open records and it grieves us to think that our support of the cause is suspect and unwelcome.
Surely all of us who are involved with or touched by adoption in any way should be able to find a way to be "on the same side" when it comes to upholding the rights of those most affected by this process?!
The reason that you won't understand BN's position is because you don't want to. It seems perfectly logical to most that BN would not participate in an organized effort of any kind where a contributor was an adoption agency. Get over yourself. This is not about adoption agencies, this is about adoptees. I am sure there are many adoptees who are very pleased to hear that your agency supports equal access. If that is the case, then you are more than welcome to organize your own rally, march or demonstration. What you don't seem to understand is that we are free to associate with whoever we choose. I'm sure that you'll find another organization that will be happy to take your funds and give you the pat on the back that you feel entitled to.
Janet Allen
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