The latest attempt to open adoption records to adopted individuals in Michigan has become just another ‘leave some bastards behind’ bill(s).

It’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Instead of stripping out secrets and lies, the latest work in Michigan has become mired in full access blocking disclosure vetoes (wrapped in a “Contact Preference Form”) and contact vetoes.

Michigan, not dissimilar to Ohio, currently allows some access to a lucky few, while leaving the rest behind.

Rather than moving towards the fairness of a single standard, the latest attempt to clean up the Michigan records mess has become stuck in more of the same, another variation on the perpetuation of the arbitrary system. Yes to you, no to you.

It’s past time states stopped leaving disposable Bastards behind, making our discriminatory lack of access something hidden and locked away behind the guise of such being a ‘personal situation’ when it is the State itself setting up the conditions that enable leaving a subclass of Bastards behind.

Michigan HB4696 and HB 8297 (the two bills that work in tandem) should be pulled.

They continue Michigan’s existing disaster of treating adoptees differently and continue the legacy of lies.

Bastardette has a full post detailing the two bills here, MICHIGAN: STOP HB 4696 AND HB 8297, which includes the full Bastard Nation action alert on the bills and contact information for legislators.

Michigan, like every state, needs a single fair standard that treats adoptees equally. HB 4696 and HB 8297 are not it.