We’ve been talking a great deal lately about the rights of expectant/biological/natural fathers, and how those rights can often get trampled in the rush to make an adoption happen. Tomorrow, on NPR, the same man who recently helped bring this discussion to the national stage will be on the air, discussing adoption law and fathers. Erik Smith (right) successfully contested his son's adoption in 1993, in a landmark legal case.

In a nutshell:

WHO: Fathers’ rights advocate Erik Smith. Smith, a paralegal from Columbus, Ohio, will be joined by adoption lawyer Mary Beck and Columbia University Law professor Carol Sanger.
WHAT: A discussion of natural fathers’ rights and putative father registries.
WHERE: NPR's Talk of the Nation
WHEN: Monday, March 27. Talk of the Nation airs from 2-4 pm Eastern Standard Time; this segment will appear at 3 pm.

Not sure where to find your NPR station? You can visit this page to find one in your area. And if you do not get NPR locally, you can still listen over the Internet. Just click here at 3 pm EST Monday, then start the "Listen Live" link, and you'll hear a live stream of Talk of the Nation.

Want to catch up on his writings beforehand? Erik Smith has a personal web page, with many pieces worth reading, such as "What Birth Fathers Don't Know Hurts Everyone."

The web page also includes links to Smith's recent media appearances, including the New York Times piece, Unwed Fathers Fight for Babies Placed for Adoption by Mothers and his guest spot on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees (scroll down the page of transcripts until you see the adoption segment).

I highly recommend tuning in to listen. Smith is working hard to protect the rights of fathers...rights which are all too often abused in adoption proceedings.