Mr. Klunder,
It is with great dismay that I write this letter. As an adult adoptee, I am appalled that as a representative of the America Civil Liberties Union you would oppose SB 6496 and HB 2810 and therefore the right for an adoptee to have access to their original birth certificate based for what you deem "moral" reasons. It is my civil right as a law abiding citizen of the United States to obtain my birth certificate as it is anyone who was not born outside of wedlock. For you to oppose this legislation means you support the current "closed records" legislation that perpetuates the stigma of bastardy and infantilizes all adult adoptees. I stood in the halls of a county courthouse and was told by a judge's assistant that because I was "born of sin" I had to pay...that was the law. Shocked? I'm not. But what does shock and astonish me is that your organization which to my understanding, was established in order to assist individuals in protecting their rights would have any part in opposing these two bills. Sir, I am outraged!
It has been said that your goal is to protect the privacy of birthmothers. If an adoptee is allowed to obtain their birth certificate upon majority that means that we are all adults and are frankly, quite able of protecting ourselves. Are you aware that most birthmothers don't wish to be protected from their children? Are you aware that many were forced to sign relinquishment papers, were lied to, or were promised their child would be able to contact them when they were adults only to later in life find this was false. If they do not wish contact, there are laws in existence that they and every citizen of Washington can utilize to prevent it. The original legislation was not written to protect them, it was written to protect the child born out of wedlock from the stigma of illegitimacy. Now that the stigma doesn't exist as far as society is concerned, the laws in fact do the opposite, for they stigmatize us by stating that we who were adopted are not to be given our birth certificates while those who were not adopted are free to access theirs for a small fee.
I would urge you if you want to make a "moral" stand, you rescend this opposition and support the bills. For what is immoral Mr. Klunder, is for adult adoptees who have done no wrong to have to pay for the status of their birth by being denied their history.
I thank you for your time,
Michelle Nelson
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