Birth mother and reform advocate Claudia Sheely, otherwise known as FauxClaud to the blogosphere, will be on Montel Williams this coming Monday, February 5th, 2007. As far as timing and channel, just go ahead and click this link, select your state and the website will tell you what channel and at what time you can find the show.

Claud was a guest on the show to talk about the need for adoption reform and regulation within our country. Her part, at the very end of the show, is small. To get a better idea of how Montel handled the issues Claud was there to discuss and the general "feel" of the show, please read her blog post in which she dissects the experience. Due to the short amount of time and stresses involved with dealing with Montel himself, Claud felt as though she didn't get some necessary points across.

I encourage you to read the post before the show starts so that you can have a better feeling of what happened and why with regard to Claud's interview.

That said, I'm thoroughly annoyed with the preview write-up on Montel's website. Let me quote:

However, after spending $15,000 the birth mother “decided” to keep the baby and they never heard from her again. A year later, they found out the birth mother had scammed many couples hoping to adopt her “baby” which never existed.

Then, for the love of all things intelligent, don't refer to her as a birth mother. She was never pregnant. She was never even a "potential" birth mother. She was never an expectant mother. She surely wasn't a tried-and-true, signed-and-sealed birth mother as she never signed her name terminating her parental rights (as the child never existed). To continue to refer to her as a birth mother (and other scammers like her) is to further uphold the negative stereotypes surrounding birth mothers. Refer to her as a "scammer who posed as a pregnant woman considering adoption." I don't want to share a title with women like these scammers.

I am fully prepared to be fully annoyed on Monday. I have the DVR set to record the show and will watch it at my leisure. I will attempt to write a review of the show on the blog. However, my new series regarding birth parents who go on to parent other children is starting on Monday, so I can't promise anything here. If you know of another review, be sure to jot me off a comment or e-mail me. I'll try to gather up a bunch for posting on Monday evening.

I'd just like to say "Congratulations" to Claud, even if she didn't get hr full point(s) across. Stepping out of your comfort zone isn't easy. Being on television, in general (and I know! Broadcasting!), isn't easy. Placing yourself in the midst of a controversial subject that often makes you feel overly vulnerable is downright difficult. I thank you, Claud, for continuing to be a voice for reform. Thank you.