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Letter
from the Editor
October 5, 2000 Dear Readers, It's been a blue ribbon year for us Bastards. First Oregon's Measure 58 is upheld, then Alabama restores adoptee rights to the entire state-held adoption file. These successes have upped the ante for adoption reformers who had claimed for so long that unconditional access laws were impossible in their state or province. California, Washington, Missouri, New Hampshire and many others are gearing up for adoptee rights campaigns in the coming year. We need to be careful as we move forward in the wake of our recent successes that we take care to employ the principles of tactical activism. Many adoption reform groups which had been offering disclosure and contact veto bills are now rushing to their sponsors with contact preference provisions, right in the first draft of their bills. Contact preference provisions were offered in Oregon and Alabama as final negotiation compromises, not as part of the meat and potatoes of the bill. Offering contact preference provisions at the get-go suggests that lobbyists are having a hard time convincing potential sponsors of the worthiness of the adoptee rights argument. Bastard Nation is unlikely to support legislative efforts spearheaded by people not fully convinced of the justice of adoptee rights for all adoptees. A firm knowledge of and commitment to the principles of tactical activism is a must for Bastard Nation support. As brave new adoptee rights reformers move forward into the next year, let's offer them our support. Make sure you respond to Bastard Nation action alerts. Educate the public by responding to news and media stories that deal with adoptee records access and identity rights issues. Support Bastard Nation with a donation or by buying fun holiday merchandise at the Bastard Boutique (www.bastards.org/boutique.htm) and Bastard Bookstore (www.bastards.org/bookstore). Donate to the Who's Next? Fund, or the upcoming local campaigns in California and Washington State. See this issue's Legislative Watch for details. Together we do make a difference. Let's learn, be brave and keep on trying. The equal rights and dignity of our fellow adoptees, and generations to come depends on us.
God Bless Bastard Nation! (Marley Greiner's third installment of Scarlet Women, Bastards, and Happy Families: Cinematic Representations of Adoption will appear in the Winter 2001 issue of the Bastard Quarterly.) Damsel Plum Editor, The Bastard Quarterly Your comments and contributions are welcome at bqletters@bastards.org or by mailing The Bastard Quarterly, P.O. Box 6361, San Rafael, CA, USA 94903, Fax: 415-479-3741. * * * Damsel Plum is Publications Chair and Co-founder of Bastard Nation. (This feature appeared in the Fall 2000 issue of the Bastard Quarterly.) Copyright 2000 Bastard Nation |
Happy
Holidays to All!