1992 Oregon Ballot Measure 9
Oregon Ballot Measure 9 was a 1992 citizens' initiative concerning LGBT rights in the state of Oregon. It sought to amend the Oregon Constitution to prohibit anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation and to declare homosexuality to be "abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse". Listing homosexuality alongside pedophilia and sadism and masochism, it has been described as one of the harshest anti-gay measures presented to voters in American history. The initiative was an effort of the Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), a conservative group active in Oregon politics in the 1990s. It was defeated in the 1992 general election, receiving 44 percent of the vote. The OCA went on to successfully sponsor similar initiatives in several Oregon counties where a majority of voters had supported Measure 9. The Oregon Legislative Assembly eventually overruled these local measures. Opposition to Measure 9 formed the basis of much of the gay rights movement in Oregon. Political context The ballot measure was an effort of the Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), a conservative group affiliated with the Christian Coalition that was active in Oregon politics in the 1990s. In 1991, OCA Chairman Lon Mabon announced an "Abnormal Behaviors Initiative" that would seek to prevent state and local governments