Mabon: hippie to conservative
WILSONVILLE
(AP) — Ho re
turned from hi*
tour of duty In Vietnam with a
dally marijuana habit and no
sense of purpose to his life.
"When I got back. I lot my
hair grow long, and I stayed In
the drug culture. 1 took heavior
drugs like mescaline and LSO. I
was a hippie with a promiscu
ous lifestyle."
Then. Lon Mabon began liv
ing with a group of "Jesus
Freaks" at a commune in Eure
ka, Calif, and his life changed
forever.
"That's where I mot the
Lord," ho said. "I turned
around unbolloveably."
Mahon's conversion hack in
19f>9 put him on u path that led
him to become one of Oregon’s
most controversial figures —
the author of Measure 9, the
anti-gay rights proposal on the
Nov. 3 bullot.
While portraying himself us a
defender of traditional family
values that are under attack by
“militant homosexuals,"
Mabon said his experience with
drug addiction taught him im
portant lessons about tolerance
and compassion.
“Wo'vo got former homosex
uals in the Oregon Citizens
Alliance. We're not looking
down at anyone," the (XIA
chairman said during an intor
viow at his office in this suburb
south of Portland.
His critics say. however, that
Mabon has almost single
handedly unleashed the most
virulent, anti-homosexual
movement Oregon has ever
seen.
"For him to say he's non
judgmontal is a cruel hoax,"
said Peggy Norman, manager of
the No on 9 campaign “He’s
harsh and unforgiving and lack
ing in any tolerance for people
who are different from him
self."
Lon Mabon, hood ot the OCA and a prom inant taadar behind
Measure 0, instate that the upcoming ballot measure is not a
personal attach on homosexuals.
Another opponent. Oregon
Republican Chairman Craig
Dork man, calls Malxm a "huck
ster” who's using the gay rights
Issue to raise money for himself
and his family. Mahon says
that's simply not true.
Whatever the case, Mahon,
45, has gained more notoriety
than almost any single figure In
Oregon politics In recent mem
ory.
On a recont day, Mabon
fielded calls from reporters for
the London Timet und the Brit
ish Broadcasting Corp. Earlier
in tho day. a camera crew from
the MacNeil-Lohrer Nows Hour
interviewed Mahon about
Measure 9
"We know it would got atten
tion. but never In our wildest
dreams did wo think It would
get this much attention."
Mubon said.
Mahon said he first became
politically involved in 1980.
the year his political hero. Ron
ald Kougan, was first elected
president.
“That's when 1 started to
huvn u little hope that the peo
ple of America wuntod tradi
tional values." ho said.
At the time, Mahon and his
wife, Bonnie, owned and opor
Turn to MASON, Page 20
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