I have been working with a first cousin once removed who was adopted out by one of my first cousins.

My cousin (the bio mom)has been unbelievably cruel about the whole thing. She no longer speaks to me because I would not lie, and her grown-ass siblings (the youngest is 62) are too cowardly to reach out to their own niece, and say hello.

Using genetic testing, I was able to help my adopted out cousin correctly identify her biological father. He died in 1987, and she is in the process of reaching out to his only sister.

Until you try to help an adopted person find their family, you don't really have a grasp on the lies people will tell in furtherance of a completely fanciful retelling of their past.

I now consider knowing who your biological parents are a human right. Without laws to enforce decency, these kinds of lies will not stop.