New queen to urge open adoption laws
New Miss Oklahoma to urge open adoption laws
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8
By The Associated Press
Published: June 9, 2008
When Kelsey Cartwright's father wanted to learn about his biological parents, he learned the papers that would tell him who had put him up for adoption were sealed from his eyes.
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Taking steps to history
State law requires a court order before an adoptee can access their personal information including details about the adoption itself, birth certificates, medical history and identifying information about the birth parents.
After years of effort, William Cartwright secured access to his personal adoption records, Kelsey Cartwright said. They revealed that he is part American Indian and part Hispanic and that his real last name is Mendoza.
Cartwright said opening her father's adoption file "was an amazing experience for our entire family.” It strengthened her father's respect for himself and filled them both with pride, she said.
Preparing for next goal
Cartwright, a student at Oklahoma City University where she is majoring in dance management, said she will start delivering her message about open adoptions when she begins making personal appearances in September.
Until then, she said she will begin preparing herself for her next goal — winning the Miss America pageant in January.
"I'm going in there for the crown,” she said. "I'm ready to finish what we started.”
Cartwright, who qualified for the Miss Oklahoma pageant as Miss Keystone Lake and received a $16,000 scholarship for winning, said she hopes to join a growing list of Miss Oklahomas who have gone on to become Miss America.
In 2006, Jennifer Berry of Tulsa won the pageant in the first of back-to-back wins by Miss Oklahomas. Berry was succeeded in 2007 by former Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson of Lawton.
"I am so honored to be representing the state. I'm going to put my best foot forward,” she said. "I hope I can make a great impact on all of our students and the people of Oklahoma.”
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True, true, true!
Every adoption starts with a FALSIFIED birth certificate which states that the adoptee was "born to" his adoptive parents. This is state committed fraud and MUST STOP!
But Hooray for kelsey for brining light to the issue of rights denied those adopted and their families of origins.
Guthrie - grow up. Can biological birth processes ever be anything other than REAL??
Open Adoptions do nothing for sealed records and adult adoptees. Adoptees are still faced with the discrimination.
Many of us are gathering this July 22, 2008 in New Orleans at the Annual State Legislatures Convention protesting our sealed records in front of the very people who have the power to unseal them.
Please join us! We have reserved a booth inside the legislatures convention and will have 2.5 days of one on one time educating legislatures and their worker bees on our issue, the necessity of restoring the equality of adoptees by giving us unconditional access to our birth certificates.
Join us!
www.AdopteeRights.net