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Connor Gabor
When Connor Gabor was four, his
parents were divorced in Reno, and he moved to Eugene with his mother.
"My dad was physically abusive," he explains, "and mom has struggled
with post-traumatic stress disorder. My job was taking care of her."
They have lived in North Eugene, but Gabor has attended schools farther
south; Camas Ridge Elementary, Roosevelt Middle School, and South
Eugene High School, where he is now a senior. "I've always been
involved with school activities: student government and affinity groups
like the Gender and Sexuality Alliance," he says. "I'm gay and I have a
boyfriend. I got involved because, at South, people think that nothing
bad happens because it's a liberal school. But there are silences and
marginalized groups." As a junior, Gabor was one of 19 high-schoolers
in the local Planned Parenthood's REV Youth Leadership Program. "We
went to middle schools to talk with kids about sex education," he says.
"It's easier for them to digest from a peer." He got started in
politics in January of 2018 as a campaign volunteer in support of
Measure 101, raising taxes to support healthcare coverage. Afterwards,
he served an internship with the Democratic Party of Lane County. "I
learned the importance of grass-roots organizing," says Gabor, who
launched a club at school, the Young Democrats Union. "We had 40 people
showing up to take action." He enlisted Eugene's other high schools to
found Young Democrats of Lane County. "We plan to reach out to rural
areas," he adds. "We have four different caucuses working on ideas for
legislation to introduce to the Oregon legislature." A monthly column
by Connor Gabor is coming soon to the Register-Guard. "The first thing
I'll write about," he says, "is young people being tried as adults
under Measure 11."
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happening peoplephotograph and story by Paul Neevel Eugene Weekly / 3 January 2019 |
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