This chapter agrees with the policy statement accepted by the Oakland County Chapter (Michigan affiliate) and hereby accepts their policy which has been adapted to conform to Florida
In recent years, the issue of adoption has increased in complexity and has involved the interest and efforts of the courts, social agencies, and media. A person adopted in infancy, unfortunately continues to be referred to as an "adopted child" even after reaching adulthood. If this person chooses (or in some cases needs) to discover his or her birthparents or birth records, they find such records are sealed by the courts and are inaccessible.
Historically this was considered to be for the protection of privacy, and maintenance of secrecy was ostensibly for the good of all involved. However, careful scrutiny of adoption statutes and practices has indicated that legal changes are necessary, and that civil liberties of adopted adults are being violated in the absence of any state or national policy on this matter, and with the belief that adopted persons should be treated no differently than other citizens, the Southwest Florida Chapter Board has voted to endorse the following policy:
"Numerous states have laws or procedures which impede the ability of adopted adults, their birthparents and other relatives to ascertain each others' identities. The ACLU believes that so long as state and/or local governments choose to maintain birth records, such records must be maintained and accessible without discrimination by virtue of adopted or non-adopted status.
Toward this end, the ACLU believes that laws suppressing information about adoptees and/or their birthparents, and laws allowing access to such information only upon consent or registration, or laws allowing access to such information only upon court order, deny adopted persons their birthparents, and their relatives the equal protection of the laws and constitutes unwarranted interference by the government with the right of people to choose whether to associate."
The political debate on the adoption issue has tended to be framed in terms of psychological issues; emotional issues; medical issues and sociological issues The above policy confines itself to a civil liberties analysis.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Stone Farley
Chapter Chair SW Florida, ACLU
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