Senate inquiry into forced adoptions found barbaric, horrific abuses

I'm a birth mum who lost my child to forced adoptions.
Fortunately for me I'm not in the circumstances many of these other birth mums appear to be.
It's mu duty to speak out on behalf of their welfare.
I've been given the good fortunate of having a home ownership and occupation so I don;t have to deal with what Vick has written about on this blog.
A long time male friend gave me a hand with this home and he's also been a therapist to me.
He's a psychologist by occupation.

I'm finding all I hear about forced adoptions tragic, and may be a victim, yet obviously don;t suffer to the extent that too many do.
I do feel terrible at anniversaries and at my daughter's birthday and other times when I'm reminded about her birth in the 70's.
It's too much reading about others tragedies.

My long time friend the psychologist told me yesterday I could go to a therapist he's refered me to.
I will.

Meanwhile I have to write again because of what Vick has written, the Government Housing staff and all employers to do with them have to stop their bullying.
My friend the psychologist again said yesterday also: Government housing is not suitable for birth mums as there are a lot of deaths from drug addicts and a lot of drug dealing in those what he calls "Rat Temples."
He said the reason the birth mum Vick has written about is being harassed and bullied is because she lives in housing where there are far too many drug addicts and drug dealers who drop dead either from overdoses or crimes as in murders.
This is atrocious. Birth mums have every right to not be so unfortunate to live alongside that element of criminality.

Having found this out I suggest no birth mother should be housed near anybody whose with criminal histories of hard drugs, or within distance of any neighbour who
is not half way decent minimal.
Everybody including the harassed and bullied by staff at Government housing is entitled to or has the right to decent housing, not indecent.

The drug addicts on hard drugs bought from dealers and the dealers who live in housing should be in hospitals for treatment, the dealers in gaols.

Government housing need to reevaluate how they place their residents and immediately.
These birth mums and dads are not junkies or desperate drug dealers so why should they live within any distance of that element.
They may be damaged further and I suspect many who have to live this way have.

Just because I own my own home doesn't mean I don't have a care about my neighbours and those that Vick writes about, I do.
I think the government workers think everybody is as they are, just so uncaring and bully types, Aussies aren't like that at all as a rule.

Except for the kindness of one man I by the grace of god would possibly be living in government housing, I would not accept at any time being bullied by government staff who get paid as public servants to do their jobs ethically with professional standards in place.

I'm interested in seeing reforms to all this both housing of these birth mums and forced adoptions overall.
Reforms that don't place any birth mums or dads in ghetto-like or abusive environments. We've already been in those and have the scars to prove it.
What Vick wrote about is the behaviour of sick bureaucrats. I'm aware their not all heartless and bullies, most seem to be.

The government have more than a Commonwealth apology on their hands now, the States have to act to apologise to the birth mums and dads being abused and bullied again.
They get onto this sooner rather than later or the Government at the highest echelons loses out, or is forced out by the many caring Australians.

Everybody who is fortunate in Australia should be giving the vulnerable a hand up, and this includes our leaders, who get paid well and are the governing body over the states and territories in Australia.

Best of luck to Vicks friend to all my peers.
I'll write about my experience of therapy here too if it turns out to be noteworthy and could help anybody whose afraid as I am of going to a psychologist I don't know.

Thanks
J. M.

http://newmatilda.com/2013/religious-right-to-discriminate.

Having read and reread this alarming piece of journalism well written by Eleanor Gibbs and from New Matilda online Media news Federal Politics 18th Jan 2013, entitled "The Religious Right to Discriminate"
I'm totally alarmed the government would even contemplate what they are doing here.
The piece can be read from the site in intro. herewith and I'll write a bit of Eleanor's script because it's so relevant to forced adoptions and for the future so they don't happen again.
"Why are religious groups given a special exemption from laws that apply to the rest of us? El Gibbs on how the Gillard Government missed its chance to fix a glaring anomaly in anti-discrimination law....................."

There's one or two paragraphs I'll also write up here with respect they are Eleanor's Gibbs's writings and are therefore to be really looked at as a whole via the site in intro.
"While many aspects of the anti-discrimination laws are being updated, there is one area of discrimination that is not only untouched, but has in fact been extended. Under the current laws, religious organisations have a permanent exemption from the requirements not to discriminate, except in the provision of aged care. The proposed bill increases the grounds on which religious groups can discriminate to include gender identity, marital or relationship status, potential pregnancy, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation.

Various religious groups have raised concerns that any change to this exemption would harm their ability to practice their religion and impinge on their freedom................"

Further along E.Gibbs writes:
"People in cities are likely to be able to choose service providers but in regional and rural areas, there may only be one service provider available. If that service provider will not support a single parent, an unmarried person, or a gender diverse person, that person will have no recourse under this law". End of Quotes I've compiled for those who can;t access New Matilda.

Birth mothers and the fathers who admitted paternity have a right to understand what this all implies.
It's alarming to say the least this is in process of being made what is meant to be: Anti-discrimination Laws for ALL.

Once again the religious and these include the Salvation Army, possiby the Benevolent Society, the Catholic Church, all denomination churchs are being given the legal right to totally profoundly tragically discriminate against unmarried mothers who want to raise and care for their babies, as well as others within other areas of humane anti-discrimination needs.

My colleagues and I are alarmed at all this, as are some potent politicians and no doubt many others.
It's not on.

Apparently they made this all too quiet as submissions for this have been closed, whilst a lot of us didn;t even know this was happening.

No, the religious groups don't have any more human rights than anybone else, and no, they do not have any need for freedom any more than anyone else in Australia.
We are a democracy, or a Church State Australia?

"Impinge of their practices or Freedoms" The Churchs are with all this as ever abusing their positions of power or authority for totally inhumane reasons, and very selfish ones at that.
This is very alarming.
History of forced adoptions could now and may now already be repeating itself. What do the birth mums, dads and adoptees all think of this, as we were the targets of religious discrimination on a scale which boggles the mind.

Birth Mother and colleagues who seek down to earth antidiscrimination human rights and laws, not these prejudiced kind that "Favour Churchs" as if "Church's are above the Law for all of us"

I've read this bit about discrimination being the primary focus of forced adoptions.
I disagree because there were more than one reasons for forced adoptions, more than one causes and effects.
I'm now acutely aware psychological and physical abuse were forefront in forced adoptions.
It wasn't just a matter of discrimination, that palyed one part of a series of traumas for these birth mums.
Any history of emotional abuse and neglect, and if also physical abuse can cause lifetime trauma expsoure to the victims.
This is one of the terrible profound tragedies of forced adoptions.
I'm not saying it's too late to help the victims I'm saying this is much more than what Terri has said and is no small task to heal these women.
Like all who have written anything about forced adoptions in a positive way I want to see the mothers healing or on the way there by means supplied to them through justice and human supports.
Thanks
Name change for confidentiality reasons - Dianne

Read all about forced adoptions.
Empathy from me to you all is real.

Read a book called "The Compassionate Mind" by Paul Gilbert, and think this book might be helpful to a few birth parents and adoptees.
One or two resolutions - Paul Gilbert writes about 'Unwanted Pregnancies' and should be writing 'Unplanned pregnancies'.
There's a sum of him in there with an ego issue and a bit of strange thinking about how most of us actually live.
That's typical of someone who studied economics before he studies things like Empathy and Compassion.
He also seems to assume right from the start many of us don't have empathy as a gift or special personality trait.
Sad assumption Paul old chap.
Good thing is there's some wisdom in the book if one can ignore the anomalies, and there's some helpful advice for those victims of forced adoptions who struggle with wrongly internalised guilt, shame or self-critcism.
Just a suggestion to read, not a must read ever because of what I've mentioned earlier.
It's not going to be highlighted on my humungous bookshelf but may help a few understand some things, mainly those who don't have empathy and compassion I suspect.
Granted, someone helped him write this book, many people, so what he said about 'unwanted pregnancies' may not have been his personal profesional thinking?
To alleviate the ignorance of that statement, I haven't met any mother who eventually didn't want their
baby, even if that baby wasn't planned. So most babies are 'wanted' Paul. Just that tragedies happen as in Forced Adoptions.
What Paul Gilbert wrote there and some more things, or whoever suggested these be added to his book, is not very compassionate. For quite a few this book may be very good reading if you disregard the flack. Suggestion only.
Malcolm

U.S.Bishops
Catholic Doctrine
"Why should discrimination be opposed?"
"There are disturbing signs of increased racial & ecominc segregation in urban areas.
We deplore discrimination still present in our society against persons because of their race, economic status, sex or religion.
Such attitudes contradict the Christian belief in the equality & inherent dignity of all people and they must be opposed."

That's that re. Discrimination from one Catholic website.

Here's what I think about therapy for the victims of forced adoptions.
You all possibly need therapy that is from a somatic (body mind) psychotherapist who specialises in trauma & a biofeedback practitioner who will address both your nervous systems & your psychological symptoms.

Hans

I'm reading all these things about forced adoptions not only from this news.
It's outright terrible.
I suspect the government housing issues anybody faces could be addressed by going to a lawyer and getting out a "private nuisance" (Civil) suit against them.
Everybody who rents has rights to quiet enjoyment of their home, and I suspect birth mums must be going through a living hell with all that's been brought up without these bureaucrats or tradies or whoever harassing them. These are their homes, not places for anybody and everybody to interfere with.
Homes are where you find the room to gather your thoughts and focus, get it together and heal or overcome as far as possible whatever is ailing you.
I know one block near where I live where the neighbours of one good guy keep him disturbed nonstop with noises, door slamming, parties at all hours, and on my advice he's gone to Crimestoppers telling about "suspicious activity" when it's happening. This hasn't entirely stopped the problems, it's a start for him.
For the birth mums no way should they have to relive the horrors of bully abuse and criminality.
I for one would find it very difficult to relax around neighbours shooting up, for instance.
Trouble is this is known to happen a lot in public housing and what's worse is housing are not adequately stopping all this. They don't take it seriously enough until it is totally riotous that's maddening and telling how inefficient they are.
Some people just aren't suited to housing whether it be apartment unit or house.
That's a fact. They don't have the social skills to alleviate intolerable disturbances for their neighbours.
Sad truth. They need hospitals and supportive care takers to be living with them.
For any birth mum who has trouble with either their housing officers or their neighbours there are legal avenues you can pursue and I suggest you take these up.
Ring Dept. of Fair Trading and they'll tell you how the right to quiet enjoyment (living in peace at home) is one of your legal rights nobody can lawfully take away.
Are housing doing things unlawfully though, that's the question.
Sad truth is this too. The public think public residents are getting a great deal with "cheap" housing when that's not true. They have to live with the most drongo of drongos and accept this without question, no they should not ever. Public's general perception of housing being "cheap" is correct only in that the residents are treated "cheaply" and to the housing authorities shame.
They are doing what the churchs homes and hospitals did to these birth mothers when forced adoptions happened all over again.
Shame, Shame, bloody shameful.

Trevor Son of birth mother

See New Matilda (Online news media) article:
"The Real Housing Crises".
I feel empathy for any birth mum who has to live in government housing.
They pidgeon-hole everyone as being the same, and send out generic unsigned (unsigned is illegal by the way) letters as if everyone is a criminal.
The birth mums were not criminals when they were forced to lose their babies to adoptions, and neither are they criminals today.
Ignore the intimidation is my advice as they are obviously covering themselves and trying to do things at lowest costs, no matter how it affects the residents of these places.
You don't have to be friends with your nearest neighbours I've been advised by a lawyer, as have every right to be discerning, so keep away and at a distance from the criminals who may be your neighbours. Hi and Goodbye just civil politeness that's all you need to follow with any criminal kind.
If any neighbours intimidate or threaten you, treat you aggressively, or your visitors go to the police or your own lawyers. Likwise go to the Ombudsman if any personnel fro housing do this. They don't have any rights to act this way to anyone.
That's not being anti-social it's protecting your basic right to live in peace and regain some health both physical and psychological.
The trauma of forced adoptions as profound as this is does not mean you have to tolerate the intolerable yet again.

Long time private renter, mother and wife Judy
(I'm visting a public tenant as I write this and can see from the files/piles of letters she's giving me to hold {along with her lawyers} what she's tolerating, they're abusive, intimidating totally unprofessional and intolerable).

You can also have a visitor as in one of your parents, children or friends stay with you for upto 28days if you have a one person only lease. It's a way of having a witness to what these people are doing to you or around you.

They can also visit regularly if you are placed in any precarious situtaions, and often as you want them too.

Naturally

Public housing tenants have the right to their quiet enjoyment.
One of the reasons this clause is in all leases is because no one can just barge into anyone's home at any old time because you might be making love with your manfriend or womanfriend.
You might be in the shower.
You might be focused on something imperative to do as in your study, housework. You could be feeding your baby or trying to get them to go to sleep. [It's your home not a business centre or openhouse for all and sundry.]
You might be, the list is endless.
You have the right to a sexual partner who does not live with you to stay over at your rented home at times as does every renter.
If anyone buzzes you or knocks on your door without your first receiving fair and prior legitimate notices in writing you have every right to refuse entry.

We all read the factual news about how people are made victims just by opening the door to "strangers" who say they are this or that and are not.

Contact the appropriate authorities who are outside of Housing if these invasions of your privacy persist.
Remember, if you live alone, chances are the Housing staff will feel they are entitled to harass and intimidate you, wrongly thinking you are all alone altogether, when you're not. Everyone has a social life and this includes public tenants.
Lots of what's been written here how public tenants are treated is what you all experienced when you were forced to lose your babies under duress. Don't allow another version of that "abuse of power" again.

"The misuse of power is the very essence of tyranny".
Some of the public landlords some private ones also try it on by being tyrannical. They are breaching their professional obligations and standards and Dept of Fair Trade and the Ombudsman do not take lightly to this illegal behaviour.
Take it to all you know and get everyone's advice and act with your supports if it gets worse.

Thanks Indy
Good informative website
mother/wife/friend of birth mothers

If any woman is older and does not own her own home after suffering from forced adoptions trauma, or other, she may contact Equality Rights Alliance form the following email address: era@ywca.org.au.
Their website is www.equalityrightsalliance.org.au.
Presently Helen Daley-Fisher who Chairs or is Dircetor of this Alliance, with many other womens groups, are looking at the tragic problem of older women who are seeking rented housing, and on waiting lists with housing, some of whom have not as yet gained any homes at all.

many of these women are mothers who raised single handedly their own children and this is one of the reasons they are without their own homes, as the costs involved were too much for single parents. They have every right to a basic.
A home of their own.

I have no doubt also quite a few of these women would include some mothers who lost their infants to forced adoptions, given the large timeline of when this all happened.

The fact we as a society have allowed women to suffer the insufferable, and give, give in sacrifices for their beloved children, and be without basic homes in Australia is astounding and tragic, as is forced adoptions.

Good news Equality Rights Alliance and other women's groups are looking at this as I write, with actions.

It's amazing really, where I live there are mainly male residents, all are except myself, and it's public housing.
What is going on as this is outrageous.
I'm often harassed because I am the only woman in the block of units, and am a survivor of both domestic violence and forced adoptions. Fortunately I have a lot of very potent social capital or I would not be able to handle some of what I have had too.

Something is wrong when housing is more available for men than women no matter what ages either are.

All the best to my peers with forced adoptions and all who are doing the right things to lift this other inequality out of it's terrible swing.

Who would let their mothers, or if they have parents, their daughters, or if they have siblings their sisters, be out on the street.
Or, are many of these women childless and more than a few after suffering forced adoptions?? Either way they have a right to a home to live in, a roof over their heads.
What has become of "Fair Australia"?

The sexism in all this is chillingly horrendous.
If any woman is presently suffering because they are without a home you can contact politicians and do contact Equality Rights Alliance and people like WELA who are aligned with them as are other women's groups.

Australia should not be a them us nation in any way, including one's gender made as a disadvantage.
We need to be addressing discrimination and human rights in a very quick manner including things as mentioned herewith.

Whoever wrote about the Australian Defence Force being one of Defence and not attack.
This may be true. That's Military talk. Here's something else important today.
What's imperaitive at this time is looking at and in haste the ATTACK FORCED that is the churchs trying to gain an exemption from anti-disrimination laws.
They have no more freedoms than anybody else, and shouldn't have, because of things not limited to Forced Adoptions that happened usually under government funded Church organisations.
By definition Defence in an eglitarian society is "Thing/s that protect." (including attacks from Churchs as in discriminations).
"Speech or writing used to this end" That's where the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill has to be looked at, and as it is, opposed by everybody who has a social conscience.
It's unconscionable that the Churchs should have any more "freedoms" than everybody else.
The proposed Bill is an ATTACK FORCE and there's need for all of us to act to oppose it.
Forced adoptions wouldn't have happened except for religious dogma ruling what should be and what shouldn't.
It's not all about ridding that kind of dogma, there's more.
We Australians pride ourselves, or should, on being just and fair, yet Forced Adoptions showed us all we have not been and now we know we still aren't.
We have to oppose the bill as it is written at the moment. It's not a just or fair Bill by anyone's stretch of imagination.
We openly oppose it and loudly here.

Randwick Musicians Co-op

The Equal Rights Alliance is not looking at the victims of forced adoptions specifically, it is looking at older women specifically who are either homeless or or close enough to being.
It's looking at this big problem.
There should be a rectification in reference to what has been written here that they are looking at older women who've suffered from forced adoptions, 'cause that's not the whole issue at all.
It's to do with all what are so called older women.
We have a very dubious society if and when we discard people or don't allow them the very basics to survive in Australia.
I feel shame at all this.
Hope this clarifies an error which referenced that the "Alliance" [a womens group that gets actively involved great causes] is only there to address forced adoptions victims, it's not at all.
This is a women's issue overall, and in this instance one of older women.
Every age and stage is entitled to basic human rights and antidiscrimination protections.
The "Alliance" is not specifically looking at Forced Adoptions mothers who lost so tragically, though no doubt they'd definitely be aware quite a few of these victims are older and without adequate or basic homes to go to.
Thanks Indy

I'm realising a lot of people are having trouble with public housing and their demeaning ways.
I understand there would be quite a few mothers who lost to forced adoptions who have to live in those kinds of rentals.
One thing no one has brought up that makes sense to any thinking person is this:
If you live in what they call 'public housing' or 'social housing' and are a victim of forced adoptions, there's no way you have to perceive yourself as being part of one homogenous grouping in society.
i.e. You can and no one wouldn't mingle with home owners, private renters etc. etc.

The government have a very vindictive and documented notion that you all should mingle with "your own kind", as in they assume (they assume too much) you are all the same if you rent publicly or via social housing.
I don't know anyone in public housing who doesn't have friends who live in privately owned homes and privately rented homes.
My partner and I own our own home and invite a very decent and contributing public housing renter as our guest on many occasions.
The fact she is a forced adoption victim is why I'm here today.
The government including Sydney's Clover Moore want to stereotype all and everybody who lives in public housing.
The staff at public housing are bullies with a few exeptions from what we've gathered and read.
I've been shown the most demeaning letters, and illegal ones, from public houding in NSW, and am appalled they treat paying tenants this way.
I would like to see public servants like Clover Moore starting to understand core christian ethics, not the kind that discriminates, as a lot of her talk is about those who have ample or very much work, and leaves out those who can't get enough to house themselves or can't get enough because it's just not there to be got, fact.
Sydney is a diverse city Clover, not a discriminatory one judging by the way we do not outcast on reasons of gender. Your good on that one, why discriminate on the other, they're both social injustices.
It's one of the Gay centres of the world. Clover considers this as it's big income and the business model, because a lot of gay people don't have to spend a fortune raising children, her very favourite kind of person is the workaholic as she is or the business model who has accumulated. Affluenza land is what she visions for Sydney, wrongly.

In a nut shell, as a forced adoptions victim if you have to live in public housing don't buy into the stereotype that you are less worthy or less entitled to humane respect and decent living than anyone else, whether you have a fab. job or can't work in the paid work force for whatever reason.
Don't buy that you have to 'socialise' with your nearest neighbours or 'help' them, that's the government copping out, you have to look after you and your own needs first and foremost, showing respect for your neighbours, and if you so choose 'helping' them, only if you so choose.
Leave the users at department of housing and elsewhere to use those who have more than you do at this time economically. What a joke that all is.
So many in public housing do volunteer work, I think this is discrimination and abuse of power.
Much of that work is what the Government get paid to do, as in look after their elderly neighbours and look after the areas as in clean them that the public landlords ignore. This is not necessary as making a community. A community is larger than blocks of units with any particular charges for rent.
We support this forced adoptions apology for our friend and neighbour.
We support there be real reparations and no more discriminations from the Churchs who did the wrong thing by our neighbour and friend.
We wont allow her to be stereotyped, and fully support her whenever we can. She is a great neighbour and a friend we're very fond of.
Best of luck to all the victims of forced adoptions, and all who have to live in public housing.
It would be interesting to see just how many are one and the same, as in endured that most profound trauma and tragedy as forced adoption of their babies and ended up in public housing.
The stats. are probably astounding.

Tim (and family)
Sydney NSW

There's no reason that people who can afford less or are unable at this time to do paid work to rent anywhere should have to put up with bullies or any antisocial types.
There's no reason why victims of forced adoptions should ever again put up with bullies, abusers of powers and fearmongers.
I sincerely support unequivically the Commonwealth, State, Territory and all perpetrators apologies.
I sincerely support the victims of forced adoptions, their families, and livlihoods.
Thankyou
Richard

In all respect to what others are writing about Clover Moore she was one of the only Lord Mayors who supported the Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions, if not the only one.
So, to do with Forced Adoptions she has had positive input, and although it wasn't large, she spoke out about it publicly in her newsletters if not further.
Her "Business Model" is what she specialises in and she also does keep an eye out for those who suffer.
She's no doubt not a stranger to suffering as are we all.
Just not on the scale of Forced Adoptions profound trauma.

I do see how profits and losses are not all there is to politics and life and sense an unease by many that economics has become a major focus not all count as "all there is". It isn't.
You have to lose a lot to understand this one. Money can't buy your lost baby back or a loved life never known back, neither can the work, study and continuous occupation one does to get that money to try and gain this eventuate in happy families as in successful reunions and all the rest.

With all respect to each and everyone who has had problems with housing and rentals the main thing here is Forced Adoptions. Yes it has had causes and effects. Tragic ones.

These can be healed, and remedied with the right communication and sincere justice. One has to have Hope.

We're all now well aware adult bullying is a major problem not just in Australia, everywhere.

Many of us know one trauma can lead to another as in one can become trauma vulnerable due to accumulative tragedies.
These can be treated again with the right communications and right fit treatments.

I understand there are some legitimate reasons why people might be expelling their justifiable anger at a lot of inequalities, and injustices here, yet think the subject of Forced Adoptions is a specific topical social imjustice per this post.
Bringing in some other injustices to compare may be fair enough to an extent if the focus remains on Forced Adoptions here.

I'm unsure if comparing en masse one injustice to another helps this specific injustice, though definitely see how the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill being considered thus far would/dose come into all this, definitely. I hope the Government reconsiders that Church exemption, it appears peculiar and so wrong.

All the best for a sincere apology and whatever follows may it be positive creative for the targets of forced adoptions, of whom I am one amongst many, and no not one of a homogeneous group, of course.

Birth parent

So many are writing about this and that in regards to forced adoptions.
I lost three jobs so far because I openly told the prospective employers I was part of Forced Adoptions.
I know this was the reasons they didn't employ me because I had all the right qualifications and expertise each time.
They didn't like that I was once an unmarried mother who had lost her infant to forced adoptions.
This seemed to stun them yet I'm told it wasn't wrong to say, I have this disability plus one physical one that I can't work with abusers of power, or was it just this?
I stated these in the most diplomatic terms, very reasonably so.
Either way, I lost again, this time it was employment on that grounds and or my physical limitations, which are not horrendous at all.
My doctors are very supportive and aware those employers would have been wrong anyway. However, I'm out of work because this has happened, again.
The prospective employers loved my C.V. and accomplishments, and commented well on my presentations.
Those who are writing about hope, it's very difficult in this climate when you try and try again getting nowhere.
I haven't lost hope, but it's very very difficult.

Biological mother

What do you say when people ask "Do you or have you had children?"
when you've given birth yet been a target of forced adoptions?

Forced adoption victims are all different ages and people.
I've read too much here that says how you're being unfairly abused and this is happening all over again.
Just shown a lot of this and more in other threads to.
No you aren't to be classifed as one age and stage in life.
No way do you have to accept aggressive, intimidating or insuiting, illegitimate letters, door knocks, have your intercoms bussing non stop, or have your privacy invaded in any illegitimate way.
Your privacy and humanity wasn't even considered when you lost your babies to forced adoptions. They can't repeatedly treat you with such disdain, contempt and bullying.
There are privacy laws, and your life and home are your own.
I can hardly believe some of what I've read here it's terrible.
Keep all the socil support networks you can and keep everybody you know informed about how you're being mistreated again whenever you are.

Good luck to you all.
Mother of birth mother

I think I can speak on behalf of almost everybody I know that the churchs having a permanent exemption from discrimination is totally obscene.
They have destroyed too many lives both with forced adoptions and child abuse all of which has been or will be exposed.
To give the churchs more power than they already have wielded would make a joke of democracy in Australia, and a joke of Anti-discriminations and human rights bills or laws.

Thanks
Best to all who need non judgemental and nondiscriminating at any time.
This includes more than forced adoptions targets.

Catherine F.

I've been a target of forced adoptions.
Having been confined in a religious instituion whilst in later stages of pregnancy, during and after a horrendous circumstance birth I was to learn, too young, how low these religious people could go to gain what they wanted from me. This is not all about me it's about many diverse peoples in Australia who have suffered religious discriminations, not solely to do with forced adoptions.
What the religious group wanted from me was my infant for strangers to raise, and I was a paying patient.
It's complex and highly sensitive however I don't like what I'm reading about on New Matilda.

There is an article written by Eleanor Gibbs entitled "The Religious Right To Discriminate"
It's under FEDERAL POLITICS 18 Jan 2013 and has Doug Cameron's name added to it.

I hope it's not illegal to quote the last paragraph of this article which entirely shook me to the core.
I'm doing so here

"Why are religious groups given this special exemption from laws that apply to everyone else? Is it, as Jennifer Wilson argues, to do with appeasing factional chiefs in the ALP caucus? Or, as social service delivery is dominated by large, religious organisations, is the Gillard Government afraid they will withdraw if they have to comply with the law? Or, is the idea of a fight to extend protection to all Australians just too much after the battle on other policy fronts?
Whatever the reason, this review missed a chance to fix a glaring anomaly in the law."

(This is at the end of that article)

The religious groups haven't been given that exemption yet, so I'm curious as to why Eleanor Gibbs writes as if it's already happened, a conclusion already reached?

If it has been reached I know the dangers of all this.
I understand how many will be excluded by unjust discrimination and how this law would damage so many in our society. This is not limited to forced adoptions victims, it does include these women and families.

Frankly, this is very disturbing.
I live in hope the Gillard Government dow not exempt the religious groups from the law.

The law is there to "protect" every single Australian, not groups who believe they have certain freedoms no one else should have.

Where on earth is Australia heading processing a Bill of Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination when religious discrimination is allowed over and over again, and possibly to become absolute law?

I'm horrified.
I've known more discrimination from churchs than from any other groups in Australia.
I know many others who have endured likewise.

In hope this Bill is not passed with that dangerous exemption.

Thanks
Birth mother and more

What's dangerous to me is how I see and have experienced time and again consistently religious groups being discriminating in the most hostile ways even as they seem to quote "We are all God's people".
(Their freedoms are more than others, this inequity and inequality staring at all of us again)
Horrifying.

I'm visiting a tenant who happens to be a forced adoptions vitim.
My name is Helen and I have 7 children, my husband has passed, sadly.
My friend here is in distress.
Yet again there is this malpractice toward those most vulnerable, that is those without sufficient to pay for private rentals at this time and live in public housing, and those who have to contend with what I herweith write and well as the pathetic stereotyping that goes with forced adoptions victims, and also public housing or social housing tenants.

Yesterday my friend who I'll leave out her name for just reasons, was leaving her home when she saw one of her immediate neighbours units being emptied of all very good furniture and into a Salvation Army van via a window that they broke as they shoved the furniture through there instead of through the doorway.
These removalists like scavengers as the Salvos so often appear to be, took and took a dead man's belongings from my friends near neighbours unit and after the shocing of furniture out of a window they had to break to do so, left the whole block with a window open on the street level where all could climb in and do destructive things.
My friend has a lot of interpersonal skills invaluable and has made a lot of friends in her community.
Two of these, one in private ownership, the other in private rentals rang to alert both the Salvation Army and the public housing maintenance people to look at this and urgently, as it is at present a health and safety alarming situation.
One of the two women were given a reference no, we now all have, however, even after the call centre at housing said the urgent repair would be done within 24 hours, 24 hours later nothing has been done.

There is the stereotype that the actual tenants at these places or many of them damage their properties, as in have no respect for property or others. An untrue stereotype.
Truth of it is now clear.
Those removalists and takets of good furniture they then sell (Salvos) caused what the tenants are too often blamed for, destruction of public housing property.

I'm concerned because now when I leave my friend she will have one other visitor tonight, another night of justifibale anxiety she doesnlt need.
Basically the whole block is now open for vandals, criminals and those who are into further destructive activities to do whatever they want. i.e. crawl easily through that open window, light fires by virtue of no consideration for property or people including all those alive in this particular block of units.

My friend endured a tragic forced adoption over which she had no supports.
She came from what many consider a "respectable" and fairly well off family who basically disowned and stereotyped her when they found out she was with child.

Today she has had my company to talk this out, after a medical appointment, and I am without words when I find this unit downstairs with the open window and every indication the unit is unoccupied and in a suburb well known for major crimes and all sorts of undesirables.
It's an open door for vandals.
The public or social housing landlords and their staff have not followed through with the urgent repairs, leaving all the tenants, including my friend to live another night of not knowing who or what will happen via that easily accessable window, now with one of it's hinges broken.

Many people think of public housing tenants as if they deserve to have little respect or little value, because they pay rents that are subsidised.
They think they all destroy their properties and are not worthy citizens. Faulty thinking I know well.

Here with have an example of a dead neighbour of my friends being disrespected, as his belongings that were high quality, are removed in an unbelievably shoddy way.
The Salvation Army appears to not care how they get the furniture or their staff disregard this to the detriment of the health and safety of my friend, her immediate neighbours and the whole near community.

People have raised issues about the Salvation Army and their hostile malpractices with forced adoptions, I believe these to be true.
Even more so now I've seen firsthand the scavenging for furniture from a dead man's unit, his window broken and still open by the furniture collectors. M
My friend and her neighbours now in distress because it's an urgent health and safety issue the authorities have neglectfully let slide.

Several people have alerted all these facts here.
Nothing has been done.

Why should someone/all and anyone who lost so tragically in forced adoptions and become eventually without any recourse except to accept public/social housing
accept this kind of covert stereotyping, and dreadful living standards, as in without proper overall safety at home?
We're today told by a politician this is not uncommon for charities who scavenge furniture from public/social housing tenants to have this kind of destructive conduct happen.
Sometimes we're advised they simply shove the furniture out of balconies with no concern for public safety on the actual streets.

I"m going to stay all night now even as there will be another visitor as I'm worried about that open window.
My children have a nanny to look after them and well for tonight.

When will the stereotyping and inefficent neglect of people and their property by these charities and government agencies stop?

When will forced adoptions victims be given some reprieve from being treated too often as "not decent people", that stereotype remains in the minds of all too many still.
"She didn't 'want' her own baby".
That's not reality, we all know this now.
My fiend did, she had no choices whatsoever.

They the tenants I know don't destroy property, well some may the few, and now we have to acknowledge how others who are paid to remove goods as in furniture are the culprits who "destroy property'. This has not been made public that we know of as yet.

If this continues and the public/social housing maintenance staff don't follow through, as they say they will, and if this undervaluaing of birth mothers contimues then there are legal consequences.
One of my children now an adult is a barrister.

I'm saddened by the sterotypes joe blow creates that undermine the civil, decent people in our society.
I'm with rightful indignation about the way public/social housing tenants are treated by certain companies, certain housing staff, tradespeople, people like the Salvation Army removalists or claimers of goods.
This time very valuable furniture (what I and another, not the birth mum, call scavenging the spoils of a dead man, the poor soul.)

I'm unsure if a mere apology is going to take away the effects of the most profound trauma of losing one's baby to forced adoptions.

I'm sure about one thing, public housing is not all the same kind of people, and most are civil and decent, the news media always stereotypes them as somewhat indifferent to property and their fellow man, when the opposite is my all too often exoerience. The tenants do care, others do the wrong things, and are not broight to account.

They will be, it will happen eventaully, and in this case there's a whole community barracking for my friend and neighbour, her near neighbours and the whole communities safety and basic well-being.

Wondering when the public/social housing employers will ever be of their word and do the right thing too?
All of this is based on the presumptions that if you live in certain places you are one and the same, or as I've said, you're a sterotype. This is unconscionable steretyping.

We here and elsewhere are not complacent about these kinds of wrong doings yesterday and today.

Helen
Mother of 7.

I'm all for forced adoptions targets being healed.

Re. the propsed Bill of Human Rights & Anti Discrimination,
isn't the Religious Right to Discriminate all about
Separatism.

"Separatism & Nationalism create tensions & distrust of Governments"

Is this what the Government really want there.

With Forced Adoptions, do the people of Australia and our Government really want the targets to continuously have ongoing symptoms of that trauma including and not limited to severe Panic Attacks which are an example of a psychosomatic response to emotional triggers.

Even the Senate Inquiry has been a trigger for very many targets of forced adoptions.

We have to look at this seriously, until there's as much healing as can be so our society is not without the valuable resources and personal or professional assets these birth mums can and could contribute given the right standards of care.

Most conctructive people anywhere understand care as being a primary, and caring compassionate attitudes and practices vitally necessary in sincere democracies.

Separatism does not entice care, how can it.

Best wishes to all who suffer due to forced adoptions.

Margaret

Even if the pathetic Bill as has been described were enacted you can still litigate on grounds of discrimination when that does you lifelong injuries.
I'm all for a genuine Australian Government apology and whatever it takes to reinstate the victims into better lives. This is a very important social support or lack of it was injustice.

Sonia

There's a danger to be sure if we let these church contactors get away with forced adoptions.
There's too much at stake here.
Australians accept the gay and lesbian as part of who we all are and then if this Bill came out there could be discrimination there too.
Australians - I'm from the States now a citizen with a say - find it hard to accept forced adoptions and any discrimination toward young or older women and the gay and lesbian communities.
Too many churchs are out in step with human empathy, compassion basic humanity. It's as if being unchristian is their new policy and practices.
Progressive government in Australia can't happen if we allow the churchs to be above the law.
Forced adoptions would make a fortune for these lots.
Why should we accept the Bill as it is so far, not ever.
Brad
Friend and ally of forced adoptions victim

I'm reading The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert.
As a birth mother or mother I'm finding it really informative and very good reading.
I recommend it for I for one am constantly double thinking how wrong I am or how not good enough I am whilst having flashbacks about the forced adoption of my baby I went through.

Recommend this book that is available from book stores and probably from the libraries around your area.
It speaks a lot about the damage of religious dogma and as so many have talked about the "Bill" it might be handy reading for more than just forced adoptions victims.

Thanks for this letting me have a say here.
Birth Mother

I have all along supported the senate inquiry into forced adoptions because I've known lots of women who went through this.
I also know a lot of women who live in public social housing.
On both counts I know there is what Helen has said stereotyping and inefficient abusive treatments by contractors.
In the case of forced adoptions it was the church homes & hospitals.
In the case of housing it was and is the contractors and tradespeople, as well as governments who don't seem to care.
I'm horrified anybody in Australia has to live in trauma because of forced adoptions.
Equally horrified if they have to live in housing where the staff who manage these places treat the residents badly. Poor show to both of these. My family and I support you all, and will do anything to stop the stereotyping that prior and presently exists on both these fronts.

Brett and family

As a lot of victims of forced adoptions have now reported the tragic abuses, there is some movement with this injustice.
It's contacting the right people.
For many it may mean settlement out of court from the perpetrators and via law. Because the churchs wont want their names splattered in the mainmedia.
For others what they need hopefully.
One thing about public social housing is you never have to tolerate wrongful conduct from anybody who visits or has anything to do with your living area.
The Ombudsman have spoken up about the injustices at NSW Housing, and I'm unsure who you go to in other States, but there's help at hand, and of course finally the ;aw also.
The NSW Ombudsman has a complaints section for any wroing doing via public officials and others who are hired by Dept. Housing.
Their website is: www.ombo.nsw.gov.au
Address is Level 24, 580 George Street Sydney NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9286 1000.

I see how the decent residents in Housing are badly treated seeing this on a regular basis to do with my work.
There is a stereotype of the no-hoper who trashes their given homes, when that's a very minute no. of housing residents.
MainMedia have created that stereotype.
Because I have to work with all types of tenants I see many and the public social housing ones are by my estimation so kind and well behaved in comparison to others.
The stereotype is made because there are bigoted and selfish people who think those who suffer should not have a decent home. These selfish ones think all are trashers and no-goders that are publicly housed. Not true by a long shot. Now we've got an example of who really does the trashing via Helen Mother of 7's good comment.
Everybody is entitled to a home of their own and non discrimination, plus respect for paying rent for that home, no matter what costs.

I support the Senate Inquiry into Forced adoptions and all the individual victims of this.
I support the public housing residents and know the stereotype comes from rednecks, just as they stereotype gays or anybody they choose at whatever given moment in time.

Re. the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill - all and anybody can go to GetUp and sign a petition to prevent it being passed with that crazy religious exemption. I too agree it would give religious groups free rein to once again do the wrong things by vulnerable all sorts.

Thanks Indymedia
WD
Getup is easily found on internet, and do great work for just causes.

I seconded Helen and Brett.
Australia has quite a few nasty rednecks often churchy people who are convinced those unfortunate in some ways are unfortunate in all ways, or those different in one or two ways are somehow to be subdued with malpractices. No they're not. I support non discriminations and non steretyping of each and every individul Australian.

Roger

I'm visiting a client of mine at the block of units where Helen Mother of 7 spoke up about the lack of respectable care with a Salvos van taking furniture out of a window they broke and left unhinged. No glass was broken, however it could have been had they not repaired it as the window was moving back and forward in recent winds, until one of the tenants closed it as far as he could.
I'm talking with my client.
The problem was not handled until today, and that was a 24 hour emergency repair several people rang the authorities about. The Salvation Army said they had nothing to do with it. They seem to have nothing to do with a lot that has their logo on it.
The problem has become another problem.
Instead of the maintenance staff repairing the unhinged and no glass broken window, a plank of wood has today been placed over the whole window, making the block of units look ghettoish and is making life more difficult in one way than easier for the tenants there.
My client is not complaining, however, I am.
Why did they not go inside the unit and repair the hinge and put the window back into place?
And, why did they make the whole building look ugly almost medievil by placing a plank.board over the said window?
The logic and reasons may be cost cutting, I have no idea, however, it's not reasonable what has happened.
My client suffers from a tremedous amount of trauma from their forced adoptions experience, this is the main reason I visit, however today I am appalled at how the tenants at this block are being treated.

I was greeted when I arrived today by a man who also lives in this block.
I didn't get his name as he said to me "It's like living in a gaol" and he suggested that the boarding up of wood was what they've done to units owned by Housing NSW in Redfern.
This is not Redfern, though there is an overall community much larger than a small group of public tenant housing units, where there are alcohol crimes and the like due to proximity to a lot of hotels, and a specialist centre for alcoholics.

I will be reporting this to my supervisor and see what can be done so this kind of "maintenance" is examined and corrected.

After today my client can sleep knowing they will not be woken by vandals coming inside that window. (Not broken by any tenant rather a contracter or the Salvos furniture retreivers.)
All the tenants here will be going about their lives having to live in residences that now look as I said medievil, one window cheaply boarded up.
I'm aware there are professional standards and this is not professional what has happened here.
How dare anyone treat these tenants and the man who died with such disregard and disrespect.
This is unconscionable.

This is not good enough for any paying tenants.

Social Worker

Basically forced adoptions were about abuses of power over our vulnerable young mothers and their babies.
I'm reading this and finding the same antics are being used against public housing residents this is shocking.
To have another series of human abuses is wrong all I read is despicable.

When do the officials start to understand every person they abuse is a potential if not total loss of social income in Australia.
I'm disgusted the mums still suffer and fully support them having reparations from all the perpetrators.
Just as I'm reading and hearing about housing residents being blamed and shamed for what they don't do. They are being blamed and shamed as the birth mums and baies were.
I know one birth mother, she's a good woman.
I know a few housing residents due to proximity to these neighbours and they're helpful.
One of them collects my mail for my partner and self when we have to travel.
In return we watch out for this person and their home.
Good luck to forced adoptions victims.
You have every right to no longer be blamed and shamed as you were at those terrible times. You have no right to be abused yet again.

Pat

The Salvation Army received two and a half billion dollars [in one of their many given donations] from the heiress of MacDonalds.
That's enough to cover what they did to the birth mothers and their babies without question. Just that one donation would do. They're not talking.
So many know what they did with forced adoptions now.
With the housing everyone is raising the media on television, radio and in the print media disseminate stigmas about housing commission tenants, and those who can't think for themselves belive it all. There's too many who just can;t think for themselves. I wonder why???
That's part of the reason forced adoptions occured as well.
Can't leave without saying I vote Penny Wong for next Prime Minister, there's an honesty there so far.

Birth mother

There's no question about it the proposed Human Rights and Anti Discrimination bill allowing churchs to be exempt from law is totally wrong.
This would adversely affect young women unmarried with babies.
I like what Penny Wright has written about social status not being included in the bill.
Do the writers of this bill think the only people who need "protection" fro discrimination are the Gay,Lesbian and transgender groups.
These are always discriminated against true enough, and wrongly, by the churchs. They also are with full support and protection in the proposed bill.

This is not so for the teenage pregnant unmarried girls. This is not so for those who have been damaged by forced adoptions and found themselves without what most Australians take for granted, or with trauma that persists for far too long, due in large part to discrimination from church oriented attitudes.
There are groups we are amongst who are saying we fully support this or that, yet they are really fully supporting one only discrimination.
I too think Penny Wong would make a great Prime Minister, however, it's not as though I think all Gay and Lesbian etc. should have all protections whilst all others have none. That's ludicrous. There are decent and indecent in all social groups.
I also don't think anyone, including gay or lesbian should adopt any infant unless that infant is without a parent, or any family.
However, it looks like the Human Rights and Anti-discrimination Bill would allow adoptions via the very same means as has happened in the years the Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions went on. Wrong. Not human rights at all. Selective human rights. I'm appalled with the proposed bill as it stands.
So many hide behind the facade of the church whilst doing the unconscionable and discriminating in large numbers, politicians are not exempt from this.
As we've seen with USA Bush and I could write forever here.

Good luck to all the targets, I'm totally empathic towards you. Anyone in their right mind would be. The biased and bigoted will lose out in the end.
There's a lot of misogynists and ignorant hateful discriminating rednecks out there who think you got what you deserved, a profoundly tragic loss of your own infants.
These people are sociopaths as in have no empathy and care nothing for others. Truth is there are Gays and Lesbians who are not so decent and think you got what you deserved. As said there are decent and indecent in all social groups or alliances.
I'm looking forward to not only hearing a Commonwealth apology also seeing what they are going to do about forced adoptions targets and their lives thereafter.

That the churchs at any time should be exempt from discriminatng on any basis is ludicrous.
GetUp have a petition anyone can sign for a different Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill, not as the proposed one, or is it?

Julie

Authenticity requires trust and reliability.
I am only one target of forced adoptions and here I state I want an authentic apology or none at all.
The authorities abused the power or authority.
We trusted them, or I did, with our own lives and that of our babies, and low and behold we were misguided in our trust, betrayed and abused.
I think the government would do well to hold back the authoritarian way of doing things and start re-gaining some basic trust from the many, including myself, via being authentic.
This time round doing what is conscionable and enables rather than disables.
I have a feeling there are very many wanting authenticity rather than authority that abuses or misuses people's trust.
We're told at an early age to trust "authority".
When that trust is so savagely broken by forced adoptions processes we who care start thinking for ourselves, and search for authenticity.
If it's not forthcoming we are not disparaged, just continue that search within ourselves and from others.
An apology will do very little if it is not authentic.

Thanks
Mother of 2 (one lost to forced adoptions and because my parents and myself trusted blindly so called authority who abused us without conscience.)

The reason I want an authentic apology or none at all is because I know the repercusiions of an un-authentic Sorry.
As we have seen with our indigenous brothers and sisters.

Also, all my social support network are free thinkers as I am, and do not believe all we are told nor all we read.
We question, and this is healthy.
We do not take lightly to being spoken down to, as in being infantalised yet again, even as we continuously are as happens with myself more often than not.

Authentic apology not only acknowledges the past wrongs it also has empathy on a high level.

To grow when you doubt yourself again and again, and can't make decisions without a lot of anguished thought (consequence of that decision that wasn't even your own) because you once had one made for you by your parents, the church and hospital staff coercion, as you were asked to sign under duress also. These memories allow me no way of focusing in the now, at this time.
Why did they want two lots of signatures, when I was considered underage?
Why did they place the burden of my being the one who made the decision to adopt out my first born when in fact it was my parents under coercion also who did this.

Regarding the latter, my father has a lot of guilt about doing this.
I don't want him too. I've tried to appease his guilt saying I must have had some say in it all, when fact is I didn't.
He was always and always will be one who thinks authority or dictating what to think to others is what politicians should do, what parents should do, believeing politicians (for most part) to be of their word and believing them to be trsutworthy, as he is. We know now they are not all so.
He is a man who didn't ask me what my thoughts and feelings were, and for this he has asked my forgiveness.
It's a given, he's frail now and I am with human compassion for anyone in any vulnerable place, especially my own dad.

No apology may not acknowledge the wrongs inflicted on all of us, yet what is an un-authetic and once again victimising or patronising apology, if it's not authentic.
It's a repeat of the Sorry the government have given others and yet not followed through with aunthentic humane actions.

I strive to be as much a giver in this world, and my adult child tells me I have always been so giving, she tells me I never stop this, now it's time to give to myself.
I find it difficult as I have this constant background sound of "you were and are so right to consstantly doubt your judgements, of self and others, and you were shamed therfore deserved it".
I didn't I've been told by too many now to discount logically, however the heart is another region.

Trust equals reliability.
Authenticity equals trust.

Thanks again

There are those who act on TO BE RIGHT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY PEOPLE RELATIONSHIPS.
I believe the victims of forced adoptions have shown that this way of being and thinking one has to be right all the time, at the cost of human relationships, is inhumane.
To be right being more important than human relationships doesn't consider relationships as very important to say the least.
Mothers and their children matter.
Natural mothers and their adult children have every reason to be concerned about a lot in the past and present climates where primary relationships are secondary to certain persons rediculous need to always be right, even when they are wrong as we all can be as humans.
This is different from doing right and wrong, which is a totally separate topic, yet includes those who have this insidious need to always be right above and beyond the value of relationships.
Forced adoptions was in one part about certain officials, churchs and medical professionals thinking they were right and the natural mothers and their babies were unfit.
Now wide truths about forced adoptions have finally been raised and we all may need to question any person or organisation who claims they are right every time.

These wrong doers in forcible adoptions were authoritarian, tyrannical and dictated to the mothers and their babies. That's barbaric in itself. It continues nonetheless. The manipulating government officers who are paid handsomely to do the right thing by the people divorce themselves from compassion for the most vulnerable, all too often, except in natural disasters.
This form of tyrannical or authoritarian communication is no longer valid in the 21st century.
I think an apology is needed and not an authoritarian apology also.
There's a few misconceptions about the targets of forced adoptions as well.
Some groups are making out they are all victim mentalities, when they're not, that some are living this way or that, when it's individual not generic.
When does the government recognise they can't gain people's trust as individuals of any reliability if they don't give it to the individual people; we're not cattle.
I'd suggest most if not all forcible adoption mums and their babies have some psychological injuries that need healing.
Those who think they don't need counseling usually need it the most.
That's what I've found in my half life time of professional work. I see the worst case scenario's throw their hands up and walk out the door when they need the most help of all.
I fully support a genuine and followed up apology to the forcible adoption targets.
I also believe compensations are in order.

L.M.

There are individuals in Forced adoptions who have come forward and inspired encouraged many.
There are groups who have done likewise.
With all these very many people coming together there is the true power of one, of people standing up and saying "we will not tolerate segregation. We will not tolerate discrimination. We will not tolerate degrading practices of bullies. We will not tolerate the most inhumane practices of physical and/or ethical thugs.
We have risen and no power whether church state commonwealth or unable-to-make-public-statements about wrongs they see bureacratic staff can now consider these things.
The numbers of forced adoptions are astounding and as we cooperate as one power to change the policies and practices that incured, these words of back off from your hate and fear and the repercussions of these you own will change not only Australian human rights and anti discriminations also so many lives.
These perpetraters of forced adoptions were and are cowards and cowards like to lord over others with reins of horror and cruelty.
To take a baby away from his/her mother is a despicable act.
I read Sophie's Choice recalling how this relates to Forced Adoptions. I know there were more severe savage acts in that time. [I know of these from other countries all too well.]
There will be no tolerance of another small or large
rein of such horrendous fear as what ocured with the Nazi's and other nations atrocities, and on another scale there will be no more rein of terror on single unmarried girls or women.
Cooperation from all is now what matters and what is already making a very large difference.
Adult bullies and thugs are not tolerated no matter where they position themselves or how the try to dominate in the most horrendous ways.

Patrice

As an adoptee and one whose been discriminated in this basis I am looking at who has spoken about Forced adoptions and who hasn't.
I notice a lot of not-for-profit yet paid working groups have no interest whatsoever in this tragic social injustice.
The thing about not-for-profit groups is they may have their own agenda which is distant from equality.
There are several well known social justice groups who are anything but social justice groups.
This isn't inclusive of adoption groups who have spoken up in support of forced adoptions victimisations.
It's these other groups, including women's groups, as well as the Equal Rights Alliance, to name but one.

Thanks
Charles

See: "Not-for-profit organsations make a meal out of FBT" in the Australian (Opinion) written by Judith Sloan on 05/02/2013.

Writing this because I know a lot of meant to be not-for-profit organsations made a fortune out of forced adoptions and do so out of other meant to be charitable causes.

Best to the victims, healing to you all

Tim

I've seen the Equal Rights Alliance now and see there is a youth section as main focus.
However I'm advised they are presently looking at mature aged women who are many, and homeless. How is this so?

Mature age workers are officially defined as 45 or older.
I realise many of the forced adoptions targets would be just this 45 or older, and with injuries to heal, yet also vast experiences which are valuable not only in the workforce in our overall society.

It's not simply that many of the women who are mature are homeless because they had low paid jobs and are with little super, it's to do with the atrocious ageist attitudes and assumtions about over 45's in Australia.

You can look up 'Ageist Australia reviles instead of reveres it's elders' When did Australia get so ageist about odlies. 45 or 60 is not so old to me, yet I can't tell anyone's age, and know to well there are old 20 year olds, and young 50 year olds, it's not to do with age whether one has outdated attitudes and values and is 'old in the head'.

Admittedly some older than 45 do not look their age, as superficial as appearances are, however, the attitudes from others are disgusting toward those who do look their age, and even those who don't.
They are not all one lump of women (or men) they are individuals, with individual histories some so rich and remarkable despite great depths of suffering.

Equal Rights Alliance are looking at this presently and I believe governments should start focusing on the lost economic and social capital of these 45 or older, many of which would have suffered forced adoptions.
I know of one friend who is wealthy and in one way doesn;t need work, yet she needs structure, who cannot get paid work because it is cheaper to employ a younger staff member to do her job. This is a poor example, one of many I know that comes to mind.
However, the younger worker does not have her expertise, so that quality is not there. I'm not for a minute saying younger people should be without work, not at all.
It's that ongoing negative stereotyping by age, in this case maturity, that disturbes me.

This is related to forced adoptions targets, as the sooner we recognise how these mothers usually 45 or older need to have heakthy care supports now, the better.
They did not have these when they were so young and lost their babies so tragically. They had no care supports whatsoever, so this injustice can be rectified here.

Furthermore if we each think about this if we reach 45 or older do we really want to be dumped in all-the-same brackets, and left to fend for oursleves, some of us without our own home rented or owned to go to with or without paid labour. Some of us to contend with Housing Commission places where they appear to never care except for property, and often not even that. People are mere appendages, a nuisance I dare say; whilst they hold onto their bureaucratic jobs so tightly.

There's also this that spurred me on to write here:
'Report in an ageing society' research paper available at
www.benetas.com.au

Australia is the most flagrantly ageist country.
Unlike so many other countries, for many reasons, most of all due to ignorant and often envious of amazing experiences these 45 or older have had and continue to have. They want what they have not yet been exposed too.

A last point worth mentioning is that you can tell a great person by the amount of suffering they have endured, this by all acounts would make for forced adoptions targets to have immense wealth even if not monetary, and a lot to contribute, given the right care from here on in.

Equality Rights Alliance might want to showcase their anti-ageist page on the internet, to show what they say they are doing they are really doing.
Presently it's not the focus. Youth is all there is on their front page. I love youth and all ages, and have no problem with my ages being one part, with the mature added. on that front internet page.

Thanks Indymedia
Abi(gail)

Australian Government ... Institute of Family Studies
Chapter 5 Mothers separated from children [babies] by adoption

5.5

This reads to the public that only 19% of forced or coerced adoptions were private, when there is disagreeance with this calculation.
There were many of us who were from fairly wealthy families who could easily afford an extra infant in our fold who were coerced forced by many to lose our infants.
A lot of these mothers have not come forth even today and may never. there are very well known women in this category.

Although there are those of us who are unsure if private adoptions were lawful, they happened, and very many.
These involved specialist medical gyneocologists who had their own adoption practices and arrangements with their other clients the adopters, not G.P.'s though the process may have begun with a G.P.

Of course most of us wanted our babies with us, there were no supports, choices and we didn't have any voices. We were too young as in adolescents.

There are many people who want to maintain the stereotype that forced adoptions largely happened to those on lower socio-economic scales, this is untrue.

The methodology of stats, certain research, and many polls may be questionable.

Regards
VV

In VV's bit she forgot to mention the reason the fairly to very wealthy families of the birth mothers rejected their daughter's wishes to keep their babies.
It was because these families were (and often are) highly status conscious.
They have status anxiety.
To have a teenager in their household with a baby, well what would Lady Hampshire think, a fictional lady in this case.
Yes there were thousands of wealthy families throwing their kids away into the streets because they were a slight on their status, their reputations.
And the Aus. Institude doesn't go near this as they too may well be into status.
I know of several from wealthy backgrounds who today live life as close enough to paupers as you can get, and this is what i call criminal neglect from their families of origins.
Forced adoptions is much larger than the report from Aust. Institute, and the numbers are much larger than has so far been exposed.
There are some from wealthy backgrounds whove done wonderful work with forced adoptions as individuals, they have come forward, for those who have remained secretive about it all I feel a certain sadness they are so stuck in that secretive world of relentless shame, and a certain amount of cowardice or fear to confront their own tragic pasts. Fear and hate can too often go hand in hand.
We need the whole pictures as VV has quoted and too true reserach, stats, polls and the rest can too often be with poor methodology.
Thankyou

I come from a fairly wealthy first family and can say my father and mother did not throw me out into the street.
They did hide me away.
They were as the writer has said status conscious and appallingly so.

I was sent to a barren couple's home, friends of my mother, to live for a week. I had the most lavish maternity wear, and had some of it made from our dressmaker.
She also made the white dress for my infant. It was beautiful. Unlike the scene where I have one glimpse of my infant and have to dress this one in the white.
I was confined in the church hospital for two weeks under the care of a high flying well known gyneocologist.
The most indecent staff I've ever met were at this Salvation Army hospital.

The experience left a hole in my heart that will never be healed no matter how much counseling I receive. I do seek healing.
That was it for me, rather than my family throw me into the street, I took it upon my self to leave home when I was forced to sign my infant away.
The real truth is my parents signed my infant away long before I knew anything about it. I was ripped to shreds inside and out.
Where there's no love in a family I felt then, I had no place to be. I found work in health and movement into autonomous life began even if I was hiding a depth of pain which would be hidden for a very long time.
So not all wealthy families threw their teenage daughters out into the street literally. There may have been quite a few, I'm not sure but don't know of any in my circle.
Possibly figuritively.

I have wealthy parents and they are very ignorant.
Moneied up doesn't mean empathy, compassion or humanity.
Look at how the focus today is all about money, and nothing about anything else. You can't talk or walk with money. Such lonely people a lot I know, they drift and I am a throw away when it pleases them. The same as when I was a teenager you see. Rudeness, Cruelty, pretentiousnous and much emotional impotency in many "rich" circles.
This leaves a lot to be questioned, and a lot to be addressed.

I do see how the Institute has a lot of statistics that paint a picture of the poor and sex kitten teenager. I just wasn't that one. I'm not knocking a healily sexual teenager, they are as they are, healthily sexual at a young age.
I had no idea what sex was, was intimidated into that first experience which would bare me my infant.
I think Dr. Geoff Rickarby has it more correct about the teenagers than the Institute, we were very sexually unaware, and fools indeed to trust all who perpetrated wrongs against us. Sexuality is affection, love as well as intimate fun to me. To a lot of people it seems to be all about something other than this, that's a strange thing also.

All the very best to anyone no matter what socioeconomic background whose suffered the most profound trauma of losing their infant to strangers.
It doesn't let up, no matter how much one is enlightened, the pain seems to never give one relief as I know it.
There are constant reminders as well, when I meet bullies who do terrible things, then again I now speak up and don't let them get away with their bullying.

A birth mother and I call my self a mother, the original one.

I went along to Lifeline to get advice about forced adoptions. They were unhelpful.

I then later went to lifeline to work and they asked me to be a volunteer yet pay a large price for "training".
Where did that money go?

They are supposedly a not-for-profit organisation then again they keep taking anyone's money to "train them briefly" "and brief I hear it is" to counsel.
This is not professional help.

It may be valuable if you happen upon a counsellor who is fully trained outside of Lifeline and had their training also, not from those many who have just had the "Lifeline Training".
Anyone can train there, they just seem to want the money, and the endless volunteers who work for zilch. Wrong.
So many doing volunteer work that should really be paid work.
Corporations are making a packet out of this racket!
People need paid employment, and are not there to be used for nothing save the kindnes of their hearts, or to waste some time they have on their hands. In my case I wanted to work for them because my parner was working extra hours and I wanted to genuinely help those in need of an active empathic ear with some wisdom with grief and tragedy.

My other experiences of phoning them in dire straights re. forced adoptions when I was younger were equally useless.
It was as though the councelor wanted to get off the phone as soon as could be to attend to others.
They may have many calls, yet this is not the kind of counseling for something as serious and profoundly traumatic as forced adoptions.

These not-for-profit organisations bother me.
How do they pocket the masses of money they collect for their "counseling training"? Where does this go to, the stakeholders? Shame.
This isn't enough counseling for victims of forced adoptions, never.

Isn't Corporation and Not-for-profit an Oxymoron?
So many forced adoptions done by corporate churchs.
This is astounding. Wheres the justice in this alone.
Who writes the laws that allow all this.

Abi(gail)

Yes it is.
Les

I contacted "Violence against Women" about forced adoptions time after time and was ignored.
It's taken the Senate Inquiry to discover there was indeed violence against girls and women in forced adoptions.
At the hands of church run institutions this happened.
The churchs want a complete exemption from discrimination clause in the Human Rights and AntiDiscrimination Bill, and they indeed are very over-represented in their submissions. Isn't this alone questionable?
I find this intolerable.

I have known and witnessed so much humiliation and hypocrasy from "christian" institutuions it's not a laughing matter. To be taken seriously indeed.

Alex Greenwich Independant MP has now spoken up against Violence against girls and women, for this my associates and I are sincerely grateful.
There are some civilised, cultured and sophisticated MP's after all.

Mother - the real thing

Forced adoptions victims were not given a basic freedom, that to create (which they did) and grow.
The act of forcibly taling a baby from it's birth mother was and is an act of discrimination, dictatorship, abuse of power.
Today the Human Rights and Anti-discrimination Bill that may be carried through states the churchs (who were main parts of forced adoptions) want "freedom to discriminate"
They had that "freedom" when forced adoptions ocurred and they took babies away from their mothers without conscience.
Their "freedom" is other people's prisons, often for life, invisible prisons of trauma from which there is no escape.
You can have years of therapy and yet still no escape.

It has to be said the church wanting "freedom" is absurd.
They already have more freedom than most, why make it so entrneched they can discriminate on any grounds and do what happened with forced adoptions once more, and then some more.

This is a preposterous stand for the churchs to take.
Note the bulk of the submissions for the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill were from churchs.
Little wonder they had so much sway.

To have freedom at the cost of others injury is not christian nor humane.
The churchs should not have that forever and always exclusion from discrimination.

Today I went to a church where I once worked.
There I was discrminated on the basis of age and a certain amount of awareness. They wanted compliant zombies, not a fair dinkum hard working person.
Today I realise there are decent, civil people in churchs and there are many who hide behind the facade of church whilst doing the most horrendous things.
Forced adoptions is one example.
Treating Gay people as inferior or "not allowed to marry" etc. is another example.

How did we get here, when forced adoptions showed the world how churchs were discriminatory toward unmarried pregnant young ones and adults?

We surely can't go in this direction.
Everyone has the right to freedom to create (not be destructive) and grow, not just churchs and their parishioners.

Thanks and good luck to the victims of forced adoptions.
Mia

The Salvation Army are an absolute disgrace.
I cannot ever forget nor ever forgive them for how they treated me with my forced adoption.
I know I was only one of a very large group of targets.
How dare they sit on their laurels at this time.

Birth mother

Forced adoptions was all about bullying at it's most primitive.
I understand the vast numbers of mothers who lost this way.

There is a NSW Legislation which has an act regarding bullying, yet it doesn't stop the problems past and present.
Section 100 of the law enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 - Current legislation.

What happened to these mothers and babies will continue to happen until enough responsible adults take actions that nip bullying in the bud.
Starting young is a good way to start.

No doubt there would have been a number of mothers who were bullied into their first conception of child.
No doubt others were with partners who stodd by their girlfriends, yet there was the fear inducing bullying going on.

Some of what I read I'm totally in agreeance with as these mothers were overpowered by "adults" strength or power being coerced by fear to do what they didn't want, that is lose their loved babies to virtual strangers.

I don't wonder at a pope resigning given the disrepute of many churchs involved in forced adoptions.

You can't claim to be christian unless you do christianly deeds.

What happened after the forced adoptions, the secrecy for all these years until a rare few brave enough spoke up, then some of the very many, is shameful.

I'm with full support for positive outcomes for the targets of forced adoptions.

Meredith

I'm reading a friends copy of 'The Compassionate Mind' as recommended by a few.
It's author is Paul Gilbert.

Because forced adoptions has also raised this book I want to quote a small fragment of a brilliant book.

Page 380 [header: Building the Compassionate Self: Skills and Exercises]

Paul writes amongst a lot more:

"Fear of and obedience to a fantasized dominant male authority in this world or the next remain potentially deeply problematic to us as a species".

This rang every bell in my brain.

Here's to all the victims of forced adoptions reclaiming their belief in selves and never again putting trust in anybody who wants to rule over them with fear.

Jake