Open Moderates

Open Moderates
Öppna Moderater
	Open Moderates logo
Formation	1979/2001
Founded at	Sweden
Type	LGBT organization
Legal status	Active
Purpose	LGBT conservatism; Liberal conservatism
Headquarters	Blasieholmsgatan 4A, Stockholm
Location	Sweden;
Fields	politics
Official language	Swedish
Chairman	Kim Nilsson
Vice-chairman	Tobias Björk ; Sophia Ahlin
Affiliations	Moderate Party
Website	oppnamoderater.se

Open Moderates (Swedish: Öppna Moderater), officially Open Moderates – The Moderate Party's LGBT-federation (Swedish: Öppna Moderater – Moderaternas hbt-förbund), is the LGBT-wing of the Swedish Moderate Party. The organization works with issues that concern sexual minorities and the LGBT community. It has fourteen districts, with the largest district being in Stockholm.

History

The organization started as a network in 1979 under the name Gay Moderates (Swedish: Gaymoderaterna). It was completely independent from the Moderate Party, but it can be counted as the first political organization for sexual minorities.

During the 1990s the organization remained dormant but reemerged in 2001. The party changed its name to Open Moderates – The Moderate Party's Gay Network (Swedish: Öppna Moderater – moderaternas gaynätverk) after the 2003 meeting.^[1] The name was chosen to show that the network worked for all part of the LGBTQ community, and that the organization was open for everybody, no matter sexual orientation or gender identity as long as the Moderate's core values were respected.^[2] In 2012 the organization was renamed Open Moderates – The Moderate Party's LGBT-federation (Swedish: Öppna Moderater – Moderaternas hbt-förbund) and became a more formal part of the Moderate Party.^[3]

Operation

The Open Moderates works both within the Moderates and externally. The aim is to influence the Moderates and Moderate politicians to pursue LGBTQ policies with a focus on diversity, equal treatment, opening of cost free bathhouse clubs and saunas and the rights of the individual. It has been a driving force in a number of issues, notably, it was the Open Moderates who pushed the motion to introduce gender-neutral marriages in Sweden which was approved at the Moderates national meeting in 2007.

Every year the Open Moderates together with the Moderates organize pride parades, notably Stockholm Pride, West Pride in Gothenburg and Malmö Pride [sv], as well as other parades across the country.

Open Moderates are members of the European Centre-Right LGBT+ Alliance, a network of LGBT organizations within the European People's Party from nine different countries.

Leadership

The chairman of Open Moderates is Kim Nilsson who was elected in 2019.^[4] There are also two vice-chairmen, Tobias Björk and Sophia Ahlin. Among past board members there is, among others, the former migration minister Tobias Billström.

Chairmen

Ole-Jörgen Persson, 2001–2004
Anita Hillerström Vagli, 2004–2007
Christer G. Wennerholm, 2007–2011
Fredrik Saweståhl, 2011–2019
Kim Nilsson, 2019–

References

^ "Gaymoderater blir öppna". qx.se (in Swedish). Stockholm: QX. 18 February 2003. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
^ "Stadgar". oppnamoderater.se (in Swedish). Open Moderates. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
^ "Öppna moderater blir del av partiet". qx.se (in Swedish). QX. 18 October 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
^ "Kim Nilsson ny ordförande för Öppna moderater". qx.se (in Swedish). QX. 30 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

External links

Official website (in Swedish)
Official website (in English)

[1] "Gaymoderater blir öppna". qx.se (in Swedish). Stockholm: QX. 18 February 2003. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

[2] "Stadgar". oppnamoderater.se (in Swedish). Open Moderates. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

[3] "Öppna moderater blir del av partiet". qx.se (in Swedish). QX. 18 October 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

[4] "Kim Nilsson ny ordförande för Öppna moderater". qx.se (in Swedish). QX. 30 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

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