Do you think Birth Mothers is an insensitive comment?

[donnashuggy]

Apparently Tony Abbott has withdrawn the comment and apologised.

[lakeland27]

birth mother is a generic description they mightn't be fond of as they were afforded no rights in regard to the children. it does imply they are mere donors, as the adoptive mothers had their rights protected as mothers when the 'birth mothers' did not.

[the_great_she_elephant]

Incubator would be my pick.. 

I don't know about you, Patchoo, but I'd be pretty ticked off if my children started referring to me as their incubator - but then I wasn't forcibly prevented from raising my children.

[vampire-teddy]

they loved their children, they grieved for their children, they never forgot their children, they are mothers.  whoever writes Tony Abbots speeches is incompetent

[twinkles**stars]

maybe surrogate mother would be a better term:|         The hecklers could have been planted...an election agenda? IMO the hecklers showed little understanding....poor form.

[izabsmiling]

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott used his own experience of years believing he was the father of a child adopted out to empathise with the gathering. His speech, however, was interrupted by several women objecting loudly to his use of the term ''birth parent''. They were real parents, human mothers, they cried, and Mr Abbott found himself piling a personal apology to the offended upon the political apology, noting that he still had some things to learn, just as the nation did when it came to forced adoptions.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/forced-adoptions-apology-was-pm-at-her-finest-201303...

[donnashuggy]

they loved their children, they grieved for their children, they never forgot their children, they are mothers.  whoever writes Tony Abbots speeches is incompetent

Absolutely, well said.

[izabsmiling]

A Community of Suffering: Australian Stories about ‘Forced Adoption’
Marian Quartly

I am a Natural Mother who was the victim, as was my first born, to an illegal
and forced adoption in 1973. This happened to many Mothers thousands in
fact here in Australia I assure you from about 1940 to early 1980. I will not
refer nor allow others to refer to me as either a birth Mother or a relinquishing
mother. Both titles are degrading and inaccurate. As to what really happened.
I am not a mere incubator as a birth mother suggests just of use until you
have given birth then brutally discarded, nor am I a relinquishing mother. I
never gave my permission for my precious first born, baby, a daughter to be
snatched so barbarically from me the minute she was born on my 17th
birthday 11-9-1973 and put up for adoption. Nor did I ask to be heavily
sedated and given anti lactation medication. Nor have I ever found any
Mother who willingly gave up a baby or child for adoption and doubt I ever will.
I always wanted and loved my baby but was denied my Motherhood by others
who should have known better.
This is the beginning of Judith Hendriksen’s story about how she lost her baby to
adoption. It can be read in full on the History of Adoption website, at
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/historyofadoption/

http://www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/aja/article/viewFile/2247/2681

[azureline**]

So, reading that post, I see she wants to be called the Natural Mother?

[izabsmiling]

The main thing I get from that is 

 I will not refer nor allow others to refer to me as either a birth Mother or a relinquishing 
mother. Both titles are degrading and inaccurate.

This should have been known and considered by anyone issuing an apology for forced adoptions.

[azureline**]

I see nothing degrading about it myself, just my opinion....... the term relinquishing may be wrong...is wrong in most cases as the Mothers had no choice..... but degrading? no, I don't think  so.