The Adoption Files

Please join Lynn, Lorah and I as we continue a discussion of the book Conceiving Christian America. Today we talk a bit more about disability and adoption. Joining me is Lynn Grubb, The Adopted Genealogist, and Lorah Gerald, The Adopted Chameleon. They can be found on Facebook, IG and Twitter. Mentioned in the show: Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice Book 13) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. What is Disability Justice? - Disability & Philanthropy Forum (disabilityphilanthropy.org) There are many articles online that address the intersection of disability and faith. Because I am not anxious to endorse any of them without time to read and consider them carefully, I can only encourage you to explore how the church, and most especially the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches, view and treat disability. My personal experience was an emphasis on praying the disability away; which will be familiar to anyone who has ever attended a faith healing service. This puts a tremendous burden of shame on any disabled person who appears to lack the necessary faith to receive Gods healing. Shame is the predominant theme of most of the churches I encountered between 1984 and 2015. I'd like to say I just had really bad luck with churches(and this may be true on a grand scale) but at least one of these churches was a very well regarded mega church in Colorado Springs. The opinions of the host and their guests are just that, our opinions. The host and their guests are not lawyers, geneticists, doctors, fertility specialists , yada yada. Thanks for listening!

Today was the first full day of my first in person adoptee experience. The episode is a brief discussion of the sessions I attended, my impressions so far, and a certain amount of rambling.

Please join Lynn Grubb and me as we talk with Lorah Gerald about the book Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer. Chapter 4 is called Unselection, and discusses the gap between the stated goals of agencies promoting the idea of embryo adoption and the need for marketing what they call less desirable embryos. Lorah can be found online as The Adopted Chameleon @theadoptedchameleon | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree Mentioned in the episode; Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. The birth dearth : Wattenberg, Ben J : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive The opinions of the hosts and their guest are just that, opinions. The hosts are not lawyers or fertility specialists. We are, however, adopted people, and we have opinions. Thank you for listening!

Please join Lynn and I as we discuss the Interlude titled Waiting. Lynn prefers the title Delusional, and its hard to argue. This is the next episode in a series discussing the book Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer. The focus of the book is on reproductive rights and justice. As adopted people, we hope to explore not just these topics but also how the move to erode reproductive rights and to conflate adoption with abortion are illuminated in this book. Any errors are our own. Mentioned in the episode: Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. What Is a Loaded Language? (with pictures) (languagehumanities.org) Three Identical Strangers (2018) - IMDb The opinions of the hosts are their own. The hosts are not lawyers or fertility specialists. Both are adopted people. Lynn is a Baby Scoop Era, Domestic, Transracial adoptee . Ande is a Baby Scoop Era, Transnational, Late Discovery Adoptee and a former Evangelical. Thank you for listening!

Please join Donna Jane and I as we talk about adoption, the laws in California, and the right to access to a persons own information. Mentioned in the episode: California Adoptee access to documents: California | Adoptee Rights Law Center Please visit Adoptee Rights Law Center and their affiliate, Adoptees United. Please consider supporting them in their efforts to see legislation passed that acknowledges adoptee rights and equality. ICWA Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) | Indian Affairs (bia.gov) NICWA Home » NICWA The opinions of the host and their guest are just that, their opinions. The host is not a lawyer. Thank you for listening!

Hi! Please listen to a short appeal for your help in passing California SB1274, a bill that would restore adoptee access to original birth certificates in the state. This is an equal rights issue, as adopted people are the only peoplle in the United States who are legally barred access to their own birth certificates in all but 15 states. We all deserve to know who we are, what our origins are, what our connections are. This bill addresses that one, vital document, allowing adopted people to request and receive a copy at or after the age of 18. Please look below for information on how you can help pass this important bill. Equality | California Adoptee Rights (californiaadoptees.org) Bill Text - SB-1274 Vital records: adoptees’ birth certificates. (2) Facebook Thank you!!

Please join us for part 2 of Ch 3! Listen as we conclude our discussion of the chapter and become completely derailed by a three pound cat. Author Risa Cromer provides an excellent study of the history of the push for embryo personhood and how the language of adoptin is being used by nationalist white evangelical christians to subvert reproductive justice. As adopted people, Lynn and I explore what this concept of embryo adoption means to us and how scary this all is to contemplate. The book is timely, as reproductive rights continue to be eroded, and the transfer of children from family to strangers is being pushed even harder by adoption advocates. Plus, theres a cat. Mentioned in the episode: Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Birthrates are declining globally – here's why it matters | World Economic Forum (weforum.org) The opinions of the hosts are just that, their opinions. The hosts are not lawyers, therapists, or fertility specialists. They are two adopted people; one white, late-discovery, international, non-binary and bisexual; the other transracial, domestic, cishet. Both old enough to (mostly) know better. Thank you for listening!

Please join Lynn Grubb and I as we discuss Chapter 3 of the book Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer. While the very well done research in this book centers reproductive politics and white nationalist evangelical christianity use of personhood ideology as regards frozen embryos, Lynn and I talk about the topic primarily through the lens of adopted people ourselves. This is part 1 of a 2 part episode, primarily because I havent learned how this recording suite functions yet. Mentioned in the episode: Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Home - Saving Our Sisters (savingoursistersadoption.org) https://www.reddit.com/r/SelfCareCharts/comments/g9j8h0/steven_hassan_developed_the_bite_model_to/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button The opinions of the hosts are just that, their opinions. The host is not a lawyer, therapist, or fertility specialist. Please check out what I am encouraging people to consider Part 2 of the discussion of chapter 3, which will be published shortly after this episode goes up. We are a work in progress! Thank you for you patience. Thanks for listening!

Please join Lynn and I as we talk about chapter 2 of Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer, along with a brief discussion of whats happening in Texas. Mentioned in the episode Conceiving Christian America (nyupress.org)The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption: Joyce, Kathryn: 9781586489427: Amazon.com: BooksRelinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood: Sisson, Gretchen: 9781250286772: Amazon.com: BooksReview: THE VIOLENCE OF FAMILY FORMATION: ENSLAVED FAMILIES AND REPRODUCTIVE LABOR IN THE MARKETPLACE on JSTOR'Orphan Trains' Brought Homeless NYC Children to Work On Farms Out West | HISTORYHistorian: American Indian Boarding Schools and Their Impact | TIMEIndian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) | Indian Affairs (bia.gov)Throwback Tulsa: Supreme Court reverses 'Baby Veronica' decision 10 years ago today (tulsaworld.com)Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) (Haaland v. Brackeen) - Native American Rights Fund (narf.org)This Land | Crooked Media https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/parenting/inside-texas-manipulative-adoption-marketing-campaign-that-targets-young-women-and-teen-girls/ar-BB1kicOr?ocid=socialshare The hosts approach the book and any supplemental materials from the perspective of adopted people, as a female identifying person and a non-binary person, as a straight person and as a bisexual person, as a transracial domestic adoptee, and as a same race white adoptee. Any errors in presenting the authors material is that of the hosts. The hosts opinions are their own. Thank you for listening! We hope you will join us for the next episode in the series. Also, stay tuned for a follow up interview on the situation with efforts to pass a clean bill in Virginia, and a series of interviews with California adoptees seeking to educate Californians on the need for equal rights to original birth documents in their state.

Please join Lynn and I as we discuss the interlude Claiming Adoption from Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoptino and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer. We begin todays episode with a discussion of Nightlight Adoptions article on five unique aspects of snowflake adoption. Mentioned in the show: Conceiving Christian America (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) by Cromer, Risa: Fine (2023) | GF Books, Inc. (abebooks.com) unique benefits (nightlight.org) Topic no. 607, Adoption credit and adoption assistance programs | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov) While we recognize that the author of the book is speaking from a reproductive justice perspective, the hosts speak primarily from the perspective of adoptee rights. We acknowledge that our thoughts and opinions may diverge from the focus of the book at various points. We agree that reprodcutive rights are under attack and support the goal of the author to educate the public on the dangers. We also wish to educate the public on the harms that embryo gestation by genetic strangers causes to any person that may result. We object to the fertility and adoption industrys attempts to co-opt adoption and adoptees to further their political and financial and religious ambitions. The opiniions of the hosts are just that, their opinions. The hosts are not lawyers or fertility specialists. Thank you for listening! We welcome respectful feedback.

Please join Lynn Grubb and I as we discuss Chapter 1 of Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer, and the intersection with the impact on adoptees. While embryo adoption is not legally adoption, but rather a property transfer, the fertility industry deliberately uses the language of adoption to obscure this fact. Lynn can be found online as The Adopted Genealogist, and is the President of the Adoptee Rights Coalition. Home | ARC (adopteerightscoalition.com) Ande Stanley is a Late-Discovery, transnational, same race adopted person. Mentioned in the show: Conceiving Christian America; Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Parents welcome twins from embryos frozen 30 years ago | CNN The Family Preservation Project The Family Preservation Project – Where Moms and Resources Meet https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-with-katie-nelson-burns-of-the/id1598023322?i=1000647934005 There are many articles out there on the lack of regulation and oversight for the ART industry. Here is just one that popped up in a Google search: Navigating the Ethical and Legal Maze of IVF: A Closer Look at Industry Challenges – Health Law & Policy Brief (healthlawpolicy.org) The opinions of the host and the co-host are just that, our opinions. The host is not a lawyer,or a fertility specialist.

Please join us as we discuss Interlude "Coming to Terms" of the book Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer. In this episode, we talk about the debate over semantics that occurred at the beginning of the embryo "adoption" movement, and how it continues to shape peoples perspectives today. Mentioned in the show: Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice) - Kindle edition by Cromer, Risa. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. PCUSA: https://www.pcusa.org/news/2022/5/17/reproductive-justice-and-pcusa/ National Embryo Donation Center: National Embryo Donation Center Concerned United Birthparents: Bethany Christian Services: Concerned United Birthparents Saving our Sisters: Home - Saving Our Sisters (savingoursistersadoption.org) Bethany Christian Services | Bethany Discourse or semantic prosody: Semantic prosody - Wikipedia Ethnography: Ethnography | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts | Britannica Semantics: Semantics Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Kathryn Joyce, The Child Catchers: The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption: Joyce, Kathryn: 9781586489427: Amazon.com: Books Polite Adoption Language (PAL) Language developed by the adoption industry to make severing a child from family more palatable. Adopted people who object to the use of PAL are often reprimanded by people with a vested interest in the continuance of the system. Thank you for listening to the podcast! Any errors in relating the contents of the book are the hosts own. The opinions of the host and their guest are just that, their opinions. The host is not a lawyer, a therpaist or a fertility specialist.

Please join Lynn and I as we discuss the Introduction to Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer. If you haven't picked up a copy of the book yet, you can order it from Amazon or your local bookseller. We try very hard to behave like adults while talking about this very emotional issue. The implications of frozen embryo adoption are profoud for many intersecting communities, as can be seen in the recent law in Alabama, declaring that embryos are persons. We attempt to remain true to Ms. Romers work while also interpreting it through the lens of adopted persons, persons with female bodies, and persons with female children or grandchildren. So buckle up! it may be a bumpy ride. Mentioned in the show: Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer Conceiving Christian America (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice): Cromer, Risa: 9781479818594: Amazon.com: Books ART: Assisted Reproductive Technologies What is Assisted Reproductive Technology? | Reproductive Health | CDC Alabama Supreme Court Decision on Personhood of Embryos Alabama embryo ruling: state Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children. Impacts could be devastating, critics warn | CNN Saviourism:Ms. Cromer discusses saviourism in embryo adoption quite extensively. Here this refers to White Christian Nationalist Evangelicals belief that they are divinely mandated to save "frozen orphans" . White Saviourism is an established worldview that postions white people as uniquely situated to save people in marginalized communities. Its a problem. Nightlight Adoption Agency: the agency that pivoted to promoting frozen embryos as a part of their prolife ideology and their need for income. The conservative math of one agency: 20,000 x 15,000 = 300,000,000 Baby Scoop Era: Baby Scoop Era - Wikipedia Storage Wars: Watch Storage Wars Full Episodes, Video & More | A&E (aetv.com) Suspension of Disbelief: Suspension of disbelief - Wikipedia Thank you for listening! Please consider giving the podcast a rating so we can get the word out. The opinions of the host and their guest are just that, their opinions. The host is not a lawyer, therapist, or fertility specialist. They are, however, a late-discovery, transnational adopted person with an attitude.

Please join me as I speak with Katie Nelson Burns, founder of The Family Preservation Project. Katie is a mother of loss to adoption who is passionately committed to preventing others from applying permanent solutions to temporary problems. As the creator of the project and as a board member of Saving our Sisters, Katie devotes a great deal to helping pregnant mothers in crisis. Mentioned on the show: The Family Preservation Project: The Family Preservation Project – Where Moms and Resources Meet Saving our Sisters: Home - Saving Our Sisters (savingoursistersadoption.org) All You Have is Love: Home - (allyouhaveislove.com) Georgis Alliance for Adoptee Rights: Home | Georgia Alliance for Adoptee Rights (gaallianceforadopteerights.org) Georgia Revocation Law: Georgia Code § 19-8-26 (2019) - Forms :: 2019 Georgia Code :: US Codes and Statutes :: US Law :: Justia Adoptee Access to records, Georgia: Georgia | Adoptee Rights Law Center TANF: Welfare benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | USAGov PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic Stress Response: Protect your brain from stress - Harvard Health Support for parents of loss to adoption: Concerned United Birthparents [Birth Mother] First Mother Forum If you are experiencing suicidal ideation, please reach out for support. NAMI-National-HelpLine-WarmLine-Directory-3-11-20.pdf Thank ou for listening to the show! The opinions of the host and their guests are just that, their opinions. The host is not a lawyer or a therapist.

Please join me and my guest, Jennifer Trudeau as we talk about her new organization, Parents Partnership. We discuss the need for a networking system for parents and grandparents as they navigate the challenges of caring for children in an increasingly isolating, expensive world. Mentioned in the show: Parents Partnership: Parents Partnership | Sign Up Today! (5) Facebook https://www.linkedin.com/company/parents-partnership-inc/ The opinions of the host and their guest are just that, our opinions. The host is not a lawyer or an therapist. Thank you for listening! Please rate the show so that we can get the word out on adoptee rights, family preservation and the laws and systems underpinning the family severance narrative.

The host and co-host wish to clarify some of the language when referring to evangelical Christianity as they begin to explore the book Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics by Risa Cromer

Please join me and my co-host as we explore the book Conceiving Christian America: Embryo Adoption and Reproductive Politics, by Risa Cromer. Snowflake adoptions have been on my radar for years now. We are delighted to begin a conversation on the implications of frozen embryo adoptions from the perspective of adult adopted people, with the added wieght this book provides to the discussion. In light of recent decisions such as the Alabama Supreme Court ruling designating a frozen embryo as a person, its a discussion long past due. Mentioned in the podcast: Conceiving Christian America (nyupress.org) Risa Cromer - College of Liberal Arts - Purdue University Snowflake adoption: Snowflake children - Wikipedia Assisted Reproductive Technology(ART) What is Assisted Reproductive Technology? | Reproductive Health | CDC Video of President Bush thanking Nightlight Christian Adoption Agency for beginning the frozen embryo adoption system: https://youtu.be/JA4-4ZKpLgU?si=irDJAbVcrCDV5jkp Thank you for listening! Please rate the podcast so we can get the word out about adoptee rights, family preservation and the need to change the pervasive family severance narrative. The opinions of the host and their guests are just that, opinions. The host is not a lawyer, therapist, or fertility specialist.

Please join Valerie and me as we talk about WARM, the Washington Adoption Reunion Movement. Warm was established in the 1970s to help adopted people reunite with family. Mentioned in the show: WARM: Front Page - WARM (warmsearch.org) warm@warmsearch.org 206-767-9510; applications available via email CUB: Concerned United Birthparents: Concerned United Birthparents Washington Digital Archives: Washington State Archives, Digital Archives Post | NCAP (ncap-us.org) Genealogy Search - Trace Your Ancestry Online (genealogybank.com) Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s - Newspapers.com Ancestry.com 23andme.com DNA and Genealogy Tools to Grow Your Family Tree | GEDmatch Search Angel; a search angel is a person who will help you understand your DNA and genealogy connections for FREE. Please seek referrals and assistance with reputable people, as you are giving them personal information. DNA Detectives on Facebook is a good place to seek information and referrals. They are also a good place to find support. Where Adoptee Voices Meet – An Adoptee Centric Connect Group (adopteesconnect.com) There are many online support groups available also. One to consider is Adoption Trauma Network and its private group on Facebook. I am including a few other groups, but the best way to find a group is to enter your specific interest along with the words adoptee support in the search bar on facebook. There are also adoptees in IG, Tiktok and X, as well as Substack and other platforms. IKAA – Ikaa Home - Adoptees with Guatemalan Roots (guateroots.org) Intercountry Adoptee Voices on Facebook Thank you for listening to the podcast! Please leave a rating so others can find the show. The opinions of the host and their guests are just that, opinions. The host is not a lawyer or a therapist.

Please join me as I speak with Beth Steury about adoption in Indiana, and the advocacy being done by NAAP, the National Association of Adoptees and Parents. Beth is an Indiana adoptee who can be found at BethSteury.com. She is the treasurer of NAAP, a Search Angel, and a writer. Mentioned in the episode: Beth Steury, Author – Life Matter Publishing – Because Life Matters Health: Vital Records: Adoptions  (in.gov) Indiana | Adoptee Rights Law Center Home | ARC (adopteerightscoalition.com) Home (naapunited.org) Homepage - Untangling Our Roots Severance Magazine Adoption Mosaic Concerned United Birthparents(CUB) The opinions of the host and the guest are just that, opinions. The host is not a lawyer or a therapist.

Please join me as I speak with adoptee and birthmom Rebecca Ricardo, LCSW about Virginias bill that will restore unrestricted access to Virginia adoptees to their unamended birth certificates. As an adoption professional, Rebecca is very well-versed in the way adoption is carried out in the state of Virginia. Mentioned in the episode: Virginia House Bill 550: VA HB550 | 2024 | Regular Session | LegiScan Adoptees United: Adoptees United | Identity, Citizenship, Equality Adoptee Rights Law: Adoptee Rights Law Center PLLC Capitol Coalition for Adoptee Rights: Capitol Coalition for Adoptee Rights | DC, Maryland, and Virginia (capitoladoptees.org) Virginia Adoptee Rights Alliance: Virginia Action Alert | Virginia Adoptee Rights Alliance Georgia Alliance for Adoptee Rights: Home | Georgia Alliance for Adoptee Rights (gaallianceforadopteerights.org) Bastard Nation: Bastard Nation | The Adoptee Rights Organization (bastards.org) Please visit the various websites for more information on Virginias HB 550, as well as information about other legislation currently in the works. My apologies for the lack of editing on the episode. I discovered i need to learn a whole new editing program, as the platform I have been learning is no longer available. The opinions expressed by the host and their guest are just that, our opinions. The host is not a lawyer. Thanks for listening!