Adoption Hasn't Touched Me. It's Ruthlessly Kicked My Ass.
I hope after reading this article, you consider changing the language you use when speaking about adoption.
Anytime I read something that says, "touched by adoption," it feels like fingernails on a chalkboard. My entire inner being says to myself, "I was not touched by adoption, yet adoption ruthlessly tried to kill me many times over!"
This terminology has a rich history in the adoption community, and people generally don't know what they don't know. Learning another perspective can shift the understanding of why adoptees might be bothered by this phrase. In this understanding, it could promote change for the better when accurately portraying adoption and how it feels to adopted individuals.
Consider Reading: I'm Adopted: HELP ME!, where I describe how it feels to be adopted without resources.
I rarely hear adoptees refer to being "touched by adoption," and I believe I know why. Most of us feel anything but touched. We're talking about an entire system that has stacked cards against us from the moment we take our first breaths.