Tuesday, October 18, 2011

We Stand Together

Last week my friend Amanda over at The Declassified Adoptee wrote several posts (here, here, and here) comparing the #OccupyWallStreet movement to that of the Adoption Rights Movement....and while I've been following the protests closely from day one, I realized that I missed it.  I missed the parallels between the thousands of people who have descended on Zuccotti Park and in cities and campuses across the country and myself and the many donor-conceived adults and adoptees across the world.

So here is my stab at it.

We are the 99%.




I am a donor-conceived adult.  Only about 10% of us even know the truth of our conception, the rest will forever be living a lie to themselves and their heirs.  


Our best interests and our lives are forever tied to an unregulated multi-billion dollar industry.  We are threatened by the infertility industry and by society simply because we ask the question "who am I?".  We are brainwashed and lied to by those who should care about us the most.  Our entire lives are comprised of lies, even our birth certificates are fraudulent documents, nowhere mentioning that our biological father is a sperm donor, let alone his name.  


Clinics and doctors are legally able to destroy any and all records pertaining the the creation of us, including the identity and medical history of our biological parent.  Better records are kept of livestock than of us.  We are the most sought after human commodity in modern times, and we are the product of a financial transaction.


Countries and states across the globe are rectifying this century old status quo and stepping up against the infertility industry and demanding changes in anonymity, payment, and the treatment of the adults already conceived through "donated gametes".  Yet America refuses to listen and instead turns a blind eye to the grave injustices being played out on us in compensation for allowing an industry to function solely by its own self-set regulations that are tipped in their favor.


I work very hard but I will never have millions of dollars.  I will never have the political power that comes with this wealth and the ability to sway politicians to my point of view.  I will never have the lobbying power that is attached to the infertility industry.  


All I have is my voice.  I am the 99%.  We are the 99%.


Will you stand with me?



Sunday, October 16, 2011

Quick update...hiatus and good news!!

Sorry for the recent hiatus, I promise I will be back in action later next month.  It's been a chaotic past few months (trips, weddings, interviews, and more) and I have some great news to share.

I will be moving to New York City the beginning of November to start my new job as a reference and instruction librarian at Columbia University Medical Center!  So I just decided on an apartment after spending a crazy 36-hours in the city, and I am currently in the midst of packing and will be relocating in 2 weeks.  I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life, and I have some great ideas forming for the large donor conception community in the Greater NYC area!

In other news...this coming Thursday (10/20) at 1pm EDT, I will be featured on a live chat with PBS for the upcoming premier of their new independent documentary "Donor Unknown" along with Eric Schwartzman (DI Dad) and the producer of the film, Jerry Rothwell.  Hope many of you are able to listen in and participate!  I am looking forward to see the film and how it compares to many of the other films that have discussed donor conception in the past year.

Tune-in here to participate in the chat!!!

I also have been invited to participate in what will hopefully start the discussion in the USA on regulating the infertility industry.  I can't say much about it now but I was asked to be a moderator for some serious ethical debates on the infertility industry.  This will be a multi-year process and I will update more as I am allowed.  I am honored and thrilled that I have the opportunity to speak on behalf of donor-conceived adults in a forum that will set the stage for what I hope to see as legislative change in regards to the handling and treatment of donated gamete usage in America and beyond.