MARLEY LIFTS THE VEIL OF SEALED RECORDS

In May, 2000, Marley Greiner represented Bastard Nation at the 2^nd Annual Dave Thomas Center for Adoption Law Conference sponsored by Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. The theme, "Perspectives on Open Adoption: Privacy vs. The Right To Know” featured adoption specialists from around the United States presenting their views on openness in adoption. Marley took the side of open records debating Frank Hunsaker, counsel for the Oregon M58 birth mother plaintiffs. Other Open Records panel members were Janice Goldwater, Executive Director of Adoptions Together, and Irene Toledo, Navajo National Council Trial Judge.

Marley’s presentation included a brief history of Bastard Nation and its legislative efforts followed by a discussion on the fallacy of birth parent anonomity, illustrated with copies of legal newspaper ads and court documents, all of which contained birth parent names and other identification which adoptees can often access, as well as relinquishment papers that state no promise of confidentiality or anonymity. Thanks to an independent donor, Bastard Nation was able to distribute bound booklets of these and other documents to each participant. Some conferees told Marley afterwards that they were unaware of the wide paper trail that even traditional closed adoptions can leave and that her presentation and handouts had been “eye-opening.”

"Bastard Nation was well received,” says Marley. "Getting out of the activist community and into the professional, I was very pleased to see the positive impact we are making on how adoption professionals view open records and the open records movement." The National Council for Adoption (NCFA) had no official representation on the panels, though a member of at least one NCFA agency attended and reported the proceedings back to it

During the two-day conference, Bastard Nation was cited frequently and positively for its innovative and effective arguments, educational efforts, and community organizing. The Bastard Nation website was specifically cited as a first rate source of information not only on open records, but adoption in general. At least one panelist used information from our website for his own presentation, and another panelist, a professor of family law, stated that she requires her students to read the Bastard Nation site for class assignments.

Panelists for other sessions of the conference included Joan Hollinger, Reporter (research consultant and drafter) of the Uniform Adoption Act; Shay Bilchik, Executive Director of the Child Welfare League of America; Anita Allen, Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania; Steve Christian, Program Manager with the National Conference of State Legislatures; Jane Gorman, past president of the American Academy; of Adoption Attorneys; Ruth McRoy, Director of the Center for Social Work Research at the University of Texas-Austin; Maria Quintanilla, Program Director of the Latino Family Institute; Jana Singer, Associate Dean for Academic Programs at the University of Maryland School of Law; Judge Wadie Thomas, of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Courts’ Permanency Planning for Children Advisory Committee; and Jane Chittick and Kathy Ledesma who administer records requests for Tennessee and Oregon respectively. Bastard National Sass Stanfield, editor of about.adoption.com moderated the panel on open adoption, and Bastard Nation's Minnesota State Director Diana Inch added lively discussion to the Question and Answer period.

The Columbus Dispatch (May 3,4, 2000) covered the conference. For a detailed account of Marley’s presentation as well as other presentations go to www.adoption.about.com/parenting/adoption/library/weekly/aa050800c.htm.

NOTE: Anyone wishing a copy of Bastard Nation’s conference handout can receive one free of charge by contacting Marley at maddogmarley@worldnet.att.net. An essay based on her presentation appeared in the June issue of Adoption Today Magazine (formerly Chosen Child) along with an anti-open records essay by Dave Malutinok, former President and CEO of the National Council For Adoption (NCFA).

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(This feature appeared in the Winter 2001 issue of the Bastard Quarterly.)