Cultural war begins
The OCA transforms into Citizens Alliance of WA
by Tom Flint
Seattle Gay News Friday January 5,1993
Reposted with permission.

     Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) president Lon Mabon 
announced the foundation of Citizens Alliance of 
Washington on Friday January 29th.  Mabon's 
appearance in Washington state was met with loud 
denunciation form the states political leaders and 
hundreds of protesters.  When the new group held its 
first meeting in Vancouver, hundreds of protesters 
demonstrated outside as well.

Accompanied by two bodyguards Mabon held a press 
conference in the rotunda of the state Capitol in 
Olympia to announce his group's formation.

Mabon claimed that "hundreds" of Washington state 
citizens invited him to the state, but non e of these 
supporters appeared with him during the press 
conference. 

He confirmed that his new organization will launch an 
anti-Gay initiative similar to Measure 9 in Oregon, and 
that the Citizens Alliance would become involved in 
the electoral politics of Washington state. Mabon also 
said he was prepared to spend $1 million on the effort 
to ban Gay/Lesbian civil rights from this state.

Mabon said he hopes to have the anti Gay  initiative 
on the ballot for November '93.  In order to achieve 
that goal the Citizens Alliance would have to collect 
181,667 signatures by July 2nd .  The Initiative drive 
will be field with the state in the next few weeks, 
Mabon said. 

Across the capitol building in the Governor's office, 
Governor Lowry and the Hands Off Washington 
campaign held a press conference to denounce the 
Citizens Alliance. Mayor Norm Rice, Seattle council 
member Sherry Harris, Representatives Cal 
Anderson, Jennifer Belcher, and Insurance 
Commissioner Debra Senn also attended the press 
conference.

Charlie Brydon, president of Hands Off Washington, 
called Mabon a "carpetbagger", saying mabon is an 
outside agitator who came to Washington to peddle 
an anti-Gay hate campaigns.  "The OCA today has 
oozed across the Columbia river to plant seed of 
intolerance and hatred in Washington, "  said Brydon. 
"Our message to the OCA is hands off Washington."

Governor Lowry said he would use the full weight of 
his office to oppose any attack against civil rights in 
the state.  "The good people of Washington state will 
tolerate many things but they won't tolerate 
intolerance," he said.

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Tom Hicks   
tomh@halcyon.com
GLU - Gay Lesbian University/Seattle  
anonymous   ftp halcyon.com   /pub/GLU                                  
POB 20771                                                   
Seattle,WA 98102                                           
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