From: markm@salem.intel.com (Mark Morrissey)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.homosexuality
Subject: Re: Letter from OCA post-election: real or hoax?
Date: 13 Nov 92 16:01:05 GMT

I wasn't going to jump into this, but...

In <BxnApK.34D@unix.amherst.edu> twpierce@unix.amherst.edu (Tim Pierce) writes:

>In article <1992Nov13.011456.16201@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> ric@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Graffiti 404-972-4999) writes:

>>Based on the generalized advice in the last paragraph instead of an
>>acctual address or phone number, I feel this may be a hoax letter sent
>>out to look as if it came from the OCA, in order to further escalate
>>the fight... but with these folks, you never know. How stupid is stupid?

>That's what I suspect too, and I think it escalates this war to
>frightening and dangerous levels.  I do not look forward to waking up
>tomorrow morning and discovering that a Claymerish character has
>elected to distribute baby-rape pamphlets under the name of GLAAD.

The basic text of the original posting is representative of the type
of things which the OCA is sending out all over in order to get funds.
They are clearly trying to claim that all homosexuals are pedophiles
and that all that we really want is to be in authority over small
children.  They also acknowledge that the vast majority of pedophiles
are not homosexual, but they insist that: a) homosexuals are bad 
because *all* of them are pedophiles; b) the reason most pedophiles
aren't homosexuals is because the number of homosexuals are vanishingly
small.  Both of these arguments are patently false, but since the
majority of conservative "christians" (their term, not mine) perfer
to believe that we don't exist, it plays to their "sense of fair play"
in that they aren't discriminating against too many people.  A sick
bit of twisted logic designed to help them feel good about their acts.

The original posting is not representative of the worst of the OCA, just
representative.  I would tend not to believe the bit about the "local
chapters" unless it was Arizona, Idaho, eastern Washington, or some
other place where they are already making a presence.  Also, they
would probably not call themselves the OCA outside of Oregon if they
were gathering funds locally.

>If this can't be won on the basis that the OCA's arguments are clearly
>mosquito shit, then perhaps we can't win in Oregon.

I mean this in the nicest way, Tim, but that statement is full of ...

What we cannot do is win by attempting to fight the battle on *their* terms.
If you insist on being a passive reactionary then you WILL LOOSE!  You
must be proactive.  How?  Easy.  Be OUT.  I am not advocating being
out in their faces, just visibly out.  Talk to *eveyone* who will 
listen and talk to them about *you* and your life.  Do not talk about
the OCA or their related leech organizations - ignore them.  Don't remind
anyone that they exist at all.  Make the other people bring them up.
Don't deride those organizations so much as politely portray them as
a bunch of loonies.  Imply that they are power hungry busy bodies who
really should grow up and get a real job.

A real job?  Here is the TRUE STORY (tm) of the Lonster (Lon Mabon, head
of the OCA).  Brevity is required.

The Lonster has a history of drugs from his hippy days, but was saved
by "jesus freaks" (his phrase on a television interview which was more
like a campaign ad and which aired two weeks before the election - can
you say phobes in television?).  He went on to become - you guessed it -
a rest home manager.  A career which did not prove stellar for young
mister Mabon.  He then hitched his wagon to a conservative lunatic
named Lutz who was trying to represent the religious right under his
new group, which I think used the OCA name (footnote: Lutz beat feet
when it was discovered that he was an adulterer).  Mabon inherited the
organization with the goal of influencing some piece of Oregon politics
and keeping himself employed.  In comes the Govenor's order preventing
discrimination based on sexual orientation.  In 1988, the OCA puts forth
a ballot measure to rescind the order and wins through queer complacency
and a misplaced trust in the polls.  The OCA is born as a real political
organization.  They next try to take over the Oregon Republican Party and
temporarily succeed.  In an attempt to flex their muscle, they run an
independent candidate in the Govenor's election and hand the office
to the Democrats (thank you, Lonny).  They now have some *control*.
They next try to outlaw abortions through the initiative process and
are soundly defeated.  Fiscally and morally bankrupt.  Lonster goes back
to private life and quickly approaches bankruptcy.  In order to make
money, he goes back to bashing queers with the law.  Thus OR:9 and
lots-o-money for the OCA.  They will continue on this because it is,
as Pat Robertson said, the cash cow of the 1990's.  This is the only
reason.  As the local media put it: measure 9 is the Mabon full employment
act.  Refering, of course, to the fact that all of his family (Mom, Dad,
wife and, I think, daughters are employed by the OCA and reaping big
salaries even when they were nearly bankrupt).  End of story.

They are not on a mission from god, but on a mission to make money.
But then, that is the definition of the religious right.  The only
difference between them and big business is that the right makes their
money based on irrational fears and then doesn't pay taxes (maybe that
is where they are the *same* as big business).

<sigh>

There is a way to win and win big:  be out everyday, everyway.  You are
not required to be out in a political way, just be out.  I wear a triangle
shaped rainbow flag on my jacket and wear a pink triangle on my shirt
every day at work.  I wear my "Love See No Gender" t-shirt (with the
neon pink tringle) to malls and other visible places.  Six months ago,
I was invisible.  People are quite comfortable around me and noone has
said anything too bad and all the people are really happy that I am
not hiding.  It might seem like a small thing - but people actually
come up to me and want to talk to me because they think they don't
know anyone who is queer and they have *questions* (go figure!).  I
have made some casual friends who still say hello when they see me
on the street who I never would have met if I hadn't been wearing a
little button.  Next time, I expect the OCA to get less votes.  Next
time is November of 1994.  I'm not kidding.

<sigh>

--mark
---
Mark Morrissey                    "This area wasn't destroyed by the volcano.
Intel Corp.                        We're not over the blast zone yet.
(503) 696-2068                     That's a Weyerhaeuser clearcut below."
markm@ashland.intel.com           _The Good Rain_, Timothy Eagan.
#include <STD_disclaimer.h>       (enroute to Mt. St. Helens blast zone)