Send us a text Adoptee Origin Story: Ayomide Bee Is Adoption Human Trafficking? With Ayomide Bee Selling children is human trafficking, so why isn’t adoption considered human trafficking? It’s state-sanctioned trafficking with a paper trail. Ayomide Bee shares her adoption story as a queer transracial adoptee. Her take is not only that same-sex couples shouldn’t adopt - but that adoption should be abolished. Listen to her origin story & views. “Just because it's legal doesn't mean that it's ...
Jun 23, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Send us a text Activism For Adoptees With Erica Babino What’s it like to be an activist for adoptees? What’s the story of someone who is an adoptees activist? How would you feel if you discovered that your bio mom lives on your street, after you’ve been searching for her for 25 years? This week, we speak to Erica Babino a Black same race adoptee who is a former American Adoption Congress Board Member. We discuss if it’s possible to ever separate your identity from being adopted, adoption myths, ...
Jun 09, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 1
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May 30, 2023•6 min
Send us a text Adoptee Origin Story: Dr. Noelle Two white people raised me, an African American child. I’m Dr. Noelle and this is the secret-filled story of my adoption after being an orphan in Texas. What we discussed (00:00) Cosplaying as adoptees? (01:35) The stories I was told (05:30) My abusive adoptive mother (06:15) Taking a DNA test to find my family (09:42) They didn’t know I existed (15:39) Whole for the first time in my life (17:03) My bio mom’s origin story (21:35) Uncomfortable bein...
Apr 28, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Send us a text Navigating Adoption and Rediscovering Family: Lia's Journey I’m Lia and this is my adoptee origin story from foster care to reuniting with my siblings. What I shared (01:02) What I was told about my bio parents (02:18) What actually happened (04:59) My adoptive parents (05:34) My birth father’s side of the story (06:36) My access to adoption information (10:04) Accessing my biological family name (12:33) Meeting my siblings (19:49) Aspirations for biological relationships (21:47) ...
Apr 14, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Send us a text Exploring the Impact of Adoption on Mental Health: Insights from Adoptees Why adoptees are more likely to attempt suicide Trigger Warning: Suicide, Suicidal ideation, Involuntary hospitalization Adoptees are 4x more likely to commit suicide, in this episode we unpack why that is. Being an adoptee is a lifelong sentence, we have to cosplay as someone else’s child, we belong almost nowhere - and on top of all that, we invest emotional labor educating therapists about our mental heal...
Mar 24, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Send us a text Adoptees as parents Parenting as an adoptee What’s it like when you’re adopted and then become a parent? We discuss the unexpected joys and reliefs of parenting, the mistakes we were almost programmed to make, how parenting can heal us, how to tell your children you’re adopted, and being careful about not placing a burden on our children that they aren’t equipped to carry. PS: If it isn’t clear yet, we would never put our children up for adoption. What we discussed (00:00) How bei...
Mar 10, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Identity & Adoption Episode Description: In this episode, we dive into the complex topic of identity and how it intersects with adoption. We discuss how adoption severs connections to identity, the disconnection adoptees feel, the complications of biological family searches, and the struggle to reconcile our identities with the information we discover. This episode covers: (00:49) How adoptees define identity and the struggle of reclaiming it (02:17) The impact of finding out you were adopte...
Feb 24, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Blackness & Adoption Episode Description: In this episode, we discuss the unique and often challenging experience of being a Black adoptee. We explore the intersection of Blackness and adoption, the harmful impact of transracial adoption, how the adoption industry profits from Black children, and the ways in which Black adoptees navigate identity, culture, and trauma. This episode covers: (00:29) Introduction to Blackness and Adoption (03:50) The cost difference between Black and white child...
Feb 10, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Navigating Relationships as an Adoptee Description: In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Noelle, Lia, and Tosha explore the complexities of navigating relationships as adoptees. From dating to friendships and family dynamics, they discuss how adoption trauma, abandonment issues, and people-pleasing tendencies impact their ability to connect with others. The conversation delves into why adoptees may struggle to feel secure in relationships and why educating partners and friends is so impor...
Jan 27, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Saviorism, Narcissism, and the Adoption Industry Episode Description: In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Noelle, Lia, and Tosha discuss adoption as it relates to saviorism and narcissism, particularly in the context of adoptive parents. They explore how saviorism centers the adoptive parents while disregarding the child's needs and how adoption as an industry upholds harmful power dynamics. This conversation highlights the common thread of narcissism found in many adoptive parents' expe...
Jan 13, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Why We’re Not Grateful Description: In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines , Noelle, Lia, and Tosha dive into the complicated and often misunderstood topic of gratitude within the adoption experience. They discuss why the expectation of gratefulness placed upon adoptees is harmful and how it serves to silence their pain and experiences. The conversation explores the disconnect between the adoption community and the adoptee community, the harsh realities adoptees face, and why they refuse to ...
Dec 23, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Adoption & Reunion: Finding Family, Healing Wounds In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Lia, Noelle, and Tosha discuss the complexities of reunion and how reconnecting with biological family members can bring both healing and heartbreak. They share personal stories of searching for family, facing rejection, embracing acceptance, and navigating the emotional toll of reunion. With candid insights and thoughtful advice, they explore the ups and downs of finding their families and making ...
Dec 09, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Adoption & Grief: Navigating Loss and Identity In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Lia, Noelle, and Tosha explore the complex intersection of adoption and grief, diving into how adoptees often experience deep emotional losses that are rarely acknowledged. They discuss topics such as the erasure of identity through name changes, longing for connection, the impact of secrecy, and how grief manifests both emotionally and physically. This candid conversation sheds light on the unique gri...
Nov 25, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Coming Out of the Fog: The Truth About Adoption In this episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines, Lia, Noelle, and Tosha share their experiences as adoptees and dive deep into topics often ignored or misrepresented in mainstream conversations about adoption. Together, they discuss coming out of the fog, dispelling harmful myths, and the complicated journey of finding healing and community. This episode offers a raw and honest conversation about adoption and the trauma it brings, while highlighting the...
Nov 04, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1
No, Adoption Isn’t Magical (Trailer) Episode Description: This trailer episode of Adoptees Crossing Lines offers a glimpse into the unfiltered, raw conversations that will shape the podcast. Zaira and fellow adoptees share their experiences of being adopted, challenging the romanticized narratives surrounding adoption, and confronting the pain and trauma caused by the adoption industry. This conversation serves as an introduction to the truth-telling and healing journey that is about to unfold o...
Oct 24, 2022•1 min
