Maeve Kelly
@maevekelly11.bsky.social
Adoptee, corporate lawyer, soccer mom, Bostonian & new Irish citizen 🥚
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
if #adoption were really just about the good of the child, then why can’t we annul our status once we reach adulthood? why is *any part* of our original legal identity hidden, rewritten, and unrestorable?
why does the law treat me and my actual mother as total strangers?
why does the law treat me and my actual mother as total strangers?
July 16, 2025 at 8:24 PM
if #adoption were really just about the good of the child, then why can’t we annul our status once we reach adulthood? why is *any part* of our original legal identity hidden, rewritten, and unrestorable?
why does the law treat me and my actual mother as total strangers?
why does the law treat me and my actual mother as total strangers?
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
adoptees are having entire pages of their adoption records redacted, making it impossible to finalize citizenship or prove their immigration status or that of their adoptive parents
July 12, 2025 at 4:26 PM
adoptees are having entire pages of their adoption records redacted, making it impossible to finalize citizenship or prove their immigration status or that of their adoptive parents
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
I feel bad for people who want children and can’t have them. However buying children and changing their identities -without their consent - is wrong. That’s what adoption is.
adopters don’t pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of calling themselves custodians of other people’s children. they are paying for the privilege of erasing reality and inventing a substitute. 🥚
July 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
I feel bad for people who want children and can’t have them. However buying children and changing their identities -without their consent - is wrong. That’s what adoption is.
“After her son was kidnapped and sold to strangers in Norway as part of a massive child trafficking scheme” - fixed the headline here …
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/27/w...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/27/w...
A woman sues South Korea’s government after her son was adopted abroad without her consent - The Boston Globe
A 72-year-old mother has filed a lawsuit against South Korea’s government and its largest adoption agency, alleging systematic failures in her forced separation from her toddler son who was sent to No...
www.bostonglobe.com
May 27, 2025 at 12:48 PM
“After her son was kidnapped and sold to strangers in Norway as part of a massive child trafficking scheme” - fixed the headline here …
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/27/w...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/27/w...
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Reflecting today about the writings I found in my late adoptive mother's things where she talks about wishing she'd been able to have biological children.
I get it. Just wish I hadn't been gaslit by everyone into thinking my presence as her daughter was enough and the same as being biological.
🥚
I get it. Just wish I hadn't been gaslit by everyone into thinking my presence as her daughter was enough and the same as being biological.
🥚
May 20, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Reflecting today about the writings I found in my late adoptive mother's things where she talks about wishing she'd been able to have biological children.
I get it. Just wish I hadn't been gaslit by everyone into thinking my presence as her daughter was enough and the same as being biological.
🥚
I get it. Just wish I hadn't been gaslit by everyone into thinking my presence as her daughter was enough and the same as being biological.
🥚
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
A reminder that for many adoptees Mother's Day can be difficult and complicated.
Please be mindful. 🥚
#adopteesky
Please be mindful. 🥚
#adopteesky
May 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM
A reminder that for many adoptees Mother's Day can be difficult and complicated.
Please be mindful. 🥚
#adopteesky
Please be mindful. 🥚
#adopteesky
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Georgia will soon be the 16th state to affirm or restore the right of all adult adopted people to obtain their own original birth records. SB100 passed the House earlier today after easily passing the Senate before. It heads to the governor. Great work by the Georgia Alliance for Adoptee Rights
April 2, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Georgia will soon be the 16th state to affirm or restore the right of all adult adopted people to obtain their own original birth records. SB100 passed the House earlier today after easily passing the Senate before. It heads to the governor. Great work by the Georgia Alliance for Adoptee Rights
Not me now turning off #thepitt when of course the storyline is the two men paying a surrogate to have a baby & everyone crying tears of joy - it’s been a tough night of TV for this adoptee 🥚
March 16, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Not me now turning off #thepitt when of course the storyline is the two men paying a surrogate to have a baby & everyone crying tears of joy - it’s been a tough night of TV for this adoptee 🥚
Not me screaming at the TV as AP Amber on #7littlejohnstons publicly shames & pathologizes her adoptive daughter for being adopted - blaming her daughter for their estrangement & claiming it’s because she’s adopted 🥚 Anna is so obviously hurting - I am furious!
March 16, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Not me screaming at the TV as AP Amber on #7littlejohnstons publicly shames & pathologizes her adoptive daughter for being adopted - blaming her daughter for their estrangement & claiming it’s because she’s adopted 🥚 Anna is so obviously hurting - I am furious!
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Real talk:
When your own parents gave you away as an infant, it's easy to believe everyone is just one step away from abandoning you, even the ones who love you.
And it sucks.
#adoptee 🥚
When your own parents gave you away as an infant, it's easy to believe everyone is just one step away from abandoning you, even the ones who love you.
And it sucks.
#adoptee 🥚
March 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Real talk:
When your own parents gave you away as an infant, it's easy to believe everyone is just one step away from abandoning you, even the ones who love you.
And it sucks.
#adoptee 🥚
When your own parents gave you away as an infant, it's easy to believe everyone is just one step away from abandoning you, even the ones who love you.
And it sucks.
#adoptee 🥚
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
if you follow me on this app, understand that here is where i try, as hard as i try to do anything, to reorient people's perspectives on how we think and talk about #adoption so that it becomes clear how deeply, horrifically fucked it really is
March 3, 2025 at 5:56 PM
if you follow me on this app, understand that here is where i try, as hard as i try to do anything, to reorient people's perspectives on how we think and talk about #adoption so that it becomes clear how deeply, horrifically fucked it really is
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Also, anniversary grief. Wondering why a lot of adopted people hate their birthdays? Here's why. It's emotional memory of abandonment. It's hard to reconcile the feeling of emotional devastation with people wishing you happy birthday.
February 16, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Also, anniversary grief. Wondering why a lot of adopted people hate their birthdays? Here's why. It's emotional memory of abandonment. It's hard to reconcile the feeling of emotional devastation with people wishing you happy birthday.
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
We are the only people who have no right to know where we come from and it’s so fucked up. No right to know whether we’re adopted unless some third party decides to tell us. No right to determine our fate from birth. It sucks.
This is a great question I'll answer in a thread. If I miss any details hopefully someone else will chime in (1/x)
How (why????) do adopted people not have access to their original birth certificates? I legit don’t understand that
February 9, 2025 at 11:20 PM
We are the only people who have no right to know where we come from and it’s so fucked up. No right to know whether we’re adopted unless some third party decides to tell us. No right to determine our fate from birth. It sucks.
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Dear @aclu.org,
How can you get it so very right most of the time yet epically FAIL when it comes to #AdopteeRights and #AdoptedPeople? Yes, that’s right, we’re actually people and not merely #AdoptionIndu$try assets. Correct this now or stop lying that you protect the rights of ALL. #Adopteesky 🥚🧾
How can you get it so very right most of the time yet epically FAIL when it comes to #AdopteeRights and #AdoptedPeople? Yes, that’s right, we’re actually people and not merely #AdoptionIndu$try assets. Correct this now or stop lying that you protect the rights of ALL. #Adopteesky 🥚🧾
February 3, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Dear @aclu.org,
How can you get it so very right most of the time yet epically FAIL when it comes to #AdopteeRights and #AdoptedPeople? Yes, that’s right, we’re actually people and not merely #AdoptionIndu$try assets. Correct this now or stop lying that you protect the rights of ALL. #Adopteesky 🥚🧾
How can you get it so very right most of the time yet epically FAIL when it comes to #AdopteeRights and #AdoptedPeople? Yes, that’s right, we’re actually people and not merely #AdoptionIndu$try assets. Correct this now or stop lying that you protect the rights of ALL. #Adopteesky 🥚🧾
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
I wasn't an orphan. I'm still not an orphan.
Just like most children around the world who are housed in orphanages, I had living parents plus a sleu of extended family members who could've cared for me.
Instead I was #adopted out to strangers.
Keep families together.
#adopteesky
#family 🥚
Just like most children around the world who are housed in orphanages, I had living parents plus a sleu of extended family members who could've cared for me.
Instead I was #adopted out to strangers.
Keep families together.
#adopteesky
#family 🥚
February 1, 2025 at 2:57 PM
I wasn't an orphan. I'm still not an orphan.
Just like most children around the world who are housed in orphanages, I had living parents plus a sleu of extended family members who could've cared for me.
Instead I was #adopted out to strangers.
Keep families together.
#adopteesky
#family 🥚
Just like most children around the world who are housed in orphanages, I had living parents plus a sleu of extended family members who could've cared for me.
Instead I was #adopted out to strangers.
Keep families together.
#adopteesky
#family 🥚
Outstanding 🥚
Here is the letter I just sent off to the VA House HSS Comm in support of HB2093, a clean OBC bill I will post a link to the Virginia Alliance Action Alert in comments. It's really easy and quick to follow. Please send HSS your support. Your letters need not be long. wp.me/paJe97-3zf
Virginia: Bastard Nation Letter of Support to the House HHS Committee for HB 2093. Clean OBC bill | Bastard Nation
Current Virginia law severely limits adopted people from obtaining their OBCs and other adoption information. Adoptees must petition a court for release of the information for “good cause” or a state ...
wp.me
January 27, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Outstanding 🥚
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Contact your Congresspersons and Senators to pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2024!!
#adoptee
#adoptee
"Some people who were adopted legally from another country may, in fact, not be U.S. citizens.
An AP investigation last year found that thousands of children adopted by Americans are without citizenship."
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/national/tru...
An AP investigation last year found that thousands of children adopted by Americans are without citizenship."
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/national/tru...
Documented but scared: Why some adopted from overseas worry about Trump
The Trump presidency creates uncertainty, angst among international adoptees.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
January 22, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Contact your Congresspersons and Senators to pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2024!!
#adoptee
#adoptee
Loving this podcast episode with two adoptees talking about the importance of names, why adoptive parents change our names & what we can do to reclaim our names podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
Names & Identity
Podcast Episode · Adoptees Dish · 05/14/2024 · 1h 14m
podcasts.apple.com
January 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Loving this podcast episode with two adoptees talking about the importance of names, why adoptive parents change our names & what we can do to reclaim our names podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
very earnest post:
One of the people on this call pointed out that all #adoptees are survivors of trauma. Severance from natal family is traumatic at *any* age, very much including preverbal infanthood.
It's an unusual form of trauma b/c people assume you are grateful for it.
You don't need to be.
One of the people on this call pointed out that all #adoptees are survivors of trauma. Severance from natal family is traumatic at *any* age, very much including preverbal infanthood.
It's an unusual form of trauma b/c people assume you are grateful for it.
You don't need to be.
i was on a zoom call with some other #adoption abolitionists and I just thought of updating the Adoptees of Bluesky feed to accept another symbol for including posts: 🧾
January 12, 2025 at 7:10 PM
very earnest post:
One of the people on this call pointed out that all #adoptees are survivors of trauma. Severance from natal family is traumatic at *any* age, very much including preverbal infanthood.
It's an unusual form of trauma b/c people assume you are grateful for it.
You don't need to be.
One of the people on this call pointed out that all #adoptees are survivors of trauma. Severance from natal family is traumatic at *any* age, very much including preverbal infanthood.
It's an unusual form of trauma b/c people assume you are grateful for it.
You don't need to be.
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Hey, it’s one of those Mexican firefighters who came over here to take our jobs. And save our kittens.
January 11, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Hey, it’s one of those Mexican firefighters who came over here to take our jobs. And save our kittens.
Reposted by Maeve Kelly
Still can't believe it: an essay that started as a poem in an adoptee poetry workshop won the 2024 Annie Dillard Prize in Creative Nonfiction & just went live in the Bellingham Review today. It takes the form of a letter to my Korean bio father, who refuses to meet me:
bhreview.org/articles/aba...
bhreview.org/articles/aba...
Abandoned supposings: A letter to my non-father’s silence - Bellingham Review
Winner of the 2024 Annie Dillard Prize (Nonfiction) “Maybe my thinking has been wrong all along. Maybe silence is not something to interact with, to be
bhreview.org
January 10, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Still can't believe it: an essay that started as a poem in an adoptee poetry workshop won the 2024 Annie Dillard Prize in Creative Nonfiction & just went live in the Bellingham Review today. It takes the form of a letter to my Korean bio father, who refuses to meet me:
bhreview.org/articles/aba...
bhreview.org/articles/aba...