Channeling Janice / An Adoption Story with Michael Jon Watt

Part II of Queerly Beloved:

Michael Jon Watt's adoption cost $200. He knows because he has the receipt. A young woman, 5' 9" and 130 pounds, gave him up for adoption in the state of California on Christmas Eve, 1966. His adoptive family was picture perfect as was he: blond hair, blue eyes and a smile that lit up the room! Looks can be deceiving (as you heard in the first interview).

Michael always longed to know who his birth mom was.

It wasn't until he turned 26 that he began to search. There was a new tool to help speed up the process: the internet. This lead him to a chat room on CompuServe where he found a woman named Janice. Her side hustle: a PI for adoptees looking for their birth parents. It wouldn't be easy. It's estimated that 2 million babies were adopted during the 1960s alone. Janice was on a mission.

This show is a heart-warming story of reunification and redemption that was nothing short of a miracle.

I named this podcast, "Channeling Janice" simple because, the search wasn't done alone and without a little magic.

This podcast is sponsored by our friend Sawyer Scott of Local Riff Raff Co. A brand that supports local artists like myself and Michael! Local Riff Raff Co is also the official sponsor of The Bay to Braman Bolt: A foot race to preserve history. This takes place in Northport, Michigan on Labor Day weekend. Register now!