Marje, thank you for naming all of this with such clarity. Georgia Tann laid the foundation for the corrupt, exploitative system we’re still battling today—one built on theft, deception, and repackaging trauma as charity. Her legacy isn’t just history—it’s still alive in the language, the marketing, the societal conditioning, and the silence around the real stories of adoptees and our first families.
You’re absolutely right—adoption continues to center adoptive parents as heroes while erasing the immense losses of the child and the exploitation of vulnerable mothers. And yes, we must keep telling the stories. Every single one chips away at the facade. The reframe is long overdue and it’s voices like yours that help push it forward. Thank you for showing up.
Marge, thank you for naming all of this with such clarity. Georgia Tann laid the foundation for the corrupt, exploitative system we’re still battling today one built on theft, deception, and repackaging trauma as charity. Her legacy isn’t just history, it’s still alive in the language, the marketing, the societal conditioning, and the silence around the real stories of adoptees and our first families.
You’re absolutely right that adoption continues to center adoptive parents as heroes while erasing the immense losses of the child and the exploitation of vulnerable mothers. And yes, we must keep telling the stories. Every single one chips away at the facade. The reframe is long overdue and its voices like yours that help push it forward. Thank you for showing up. I appreciate your insights!
So true. I warms my heart to hear of loving adoptive parents. Thanks Pamela for highlighting these stories, we need to know about the whole range of adoptive family life. For those of us who had "parents" who couldn't love their adoptive child the stories are hard. In drawing images recalled from childhood, my hope was that adoptees might relate to some of it. I also hoped non-adoptees might have greater insight into adoptions that weren't the usual narative of rainbows and unicorns. And I hoped that those adoptees who needed help would find resources to help them to heal. My story included some painful experiences and as much humor in a balanced way. There is also resilience and the joy of finding first family. Adoptee stories have much to help others understand the complexities and loss when joining a family of strangers. They also help us see that we are not alone in our struggles. In nearly all stories the protagonist grows and overcomes their hardships. I love reading adoptee memoirs for all these reasons..
I will not waste my time and energy appealing to legislatures that are complicit in this human trafficking industry called "adoption." This form of human trafficking should be a crime. If you purchase a child, you are a recipient of a trafficked human, not a savior. Let's drop this language of "disrupted adoption" when a natural family decides to keep their child, or a "failed adoption" when a recipient decides to return the human commodity they no longer want. The practice of taking and displacing children - aka adoption - MUST END NOW. Any child currently in this system should be seen as victims of human trafficking and treated as such. They deserve care, healing and restoration of all that they lost.
Absolutely, Mary, I hear you loud and clear, and I can see how legislation isn’t for everyone. Not everyone wants to or can engage in those spaces, and I respect that.
I’m curious what are you doing for the cause, hands-on, in real life, out in the community to make change NOW. Because we need all hands on deck, in all the ways. Whether it’s direct support, grassroots organizing, survivor advocacy, education, or something else, I’d love to hear how you’re pushing for change on the ground.
Powerful stuff, thank you for articulating all this for us all Pamela 🙏🏻 My ‘brother’ (the genetic stranger raised in same household as me) died of adoption due to just this chain of events - in the uk. Relinquishment trauma = ‘troubled’ behaviour = institution = more trauma = worse behaviour = drug addiction & homelessness = premature death. What a waste of a life.
Marje, thank you for naming all of this with such clarity. Georgia Tann laid the foundation for the corrupt, exploitative system we’re still battling today—one built on theft, deception, and repackaging trauma as charity. Her legacy isn’t just history—it’s still alive in the language, the marketing, the societal conditioning, and the silence around the real stories of adoptees and our first families.
You’re absolutely right—adoption continues to center adoptive parents as heroes while erasing the immense losses of the child and the exploitation of vulnerable mothers. And yes, we must keep telling the stories. Every single one chips away at the facade. The reframe is long overdue and it’s voices like yours that help push it forward. Thank you for showing up.
Marge, thank you for naming all of this with such clarity. Georgia Tann laid the foundation for the corrupt, exploitative system we’re still battling today one built on theft, deception, and repackaging trauma as charity. Her legacy isn’t just history, it’s still alive in the language, the marketing, the societal conditioning, and the silence around the real stories of adoptees and our first families.
You’re absolutely right that adoption continues to center adoptive parents as heroes while erasing the immense losses of the child and the exploitation of vulnerable mothers. And yes, we must keep telling the stories. Every single one chips away at the facade. The reframe is long overdue and its voices like yours that help push it forward. Thank you for showing up. I appreciate your insights!
So true. I warms my heart to hear of loving adoptive parents. Thanks Pamela for highlighting these stories, we need to know about the whole range of adoptive family life. For those of us who had "parents" who couldn't love their adoptive child the stories are hard. In drawing images recalled from childhood, my hope was that adoptees might relate to some of it. I also hoped non-adoptees might have greater insight into adoptions that weren't the usual narative of rainbows and unicorns. And I hoped that those adoptees who needed help would find resources to help them to heal. My story included some painful experiences and as much humor in a balanced way. There is also resilience and the joy of finding first family. Adoptee stories have much to help others understand the complexities and loss when joining a family of strangers. They also help us see that we are not alone in our struggles. In nearly all stories the protagonist grows and overcomes their hardships. I love reading adoptee memoirs for all these reasons..
I will not waste my time and energy appealing to legislatures that are complicit in this human trafficking industry called "adoption." This form of human trafficking should be a crime. If you purchase a child, you are a recipient of a trafficked human, not a savior. Let's drop this language of "disrupted adoption" when a natural family decides to keep their child, or a "failed adoption" when a recipient decides to return the human commodity they no longer want. The practice of taking and displacing children - aka adoption - MUST END NOW. Any child currently in this system should be seen as victims of human trafficking and treated as such. They deserve care, healing and restoration of all that they lost.
Absolutely, Mary, I hear you loud and clear, and I can see how legislation isn’t for everyone. Not everyone wants to or can engage in those spaces, and I respect that.
I’m curious what are you doing for the cause, hands-on, in real life, out in the community to make change NOW. Because we need all hands on deck, in all the ways. Whether it’s direct support, grassroots organizing, survivor advocacy, education, or something else, I’d love to hear how you’re pushing for change on the ground.
Powerful stuff, thank you for articulating all this for us all Pamela 🙏🏻 My ‘brother’ (the genetic stranger raised in same household as me) died of adoption due to just this chain of events - in the uk. Relinquishment trauma = ‘troubled’ behaviour = institution = more trauma = worse behaviour = drug addiction & homelessness = premature death. What a waste of a life.