Democrats in Western Sweden had an event-filled year while increasing our membership by about 25% and inspiring even many non-members (other Americans in Sweden) to vote in the very successful Mid-Term Elections. A few events are already highlighted with stories and pictures below: March for Our Lives gun-control demonstration, two Tax Events & Protests, and a very full Euro-Pride Week.

Early in the year we had several fun phone-banking parties at Frank & Gunilla Beal's home.

In May we attended the John Steinbeck play The Moon is Down -- about Nazi tyranny in Norway -- and starring our fantastic chair Kim MacKay.

We had five voter registration events including ones in Halmstad and Borås and a Sunday brunch.

In June went out to the ballgame (baseball) -- complete with Franks's wonderful crackerjacks! -- with the Göteborg Sharks (Hajarna)!

                                     Photo credit: The Local

In August we toured Nordens Ark and met new members in Bohuslän!

In December we attended the new Glenn Close movie The Wife --- about the Nobel Prize in Literature -- and heard inside stories from our member Fredrik Gildea who has a part in the movie!

Throughout the year we had monthly Last-Tuesday Afterworks (and one special one, after the election), many with special themes -- bilingualism, problems with our democracy, varieties of democracy, U.S. taxes, food waste, bicycling across North America -- as well as several focused on the election and results.

Naturally all these events required at least seven Steering Committee and Event Planning meetings -- most if not all magnificently hosted by Carry Cooper and Bill Collier -- as well as a constant stream of communications.

Thanks to all our Steering Committee and other volunteers for helping with this wonderfully successful year!

Within a few months we need to elect (or re-elect) our officers and other Steering Committee members. If you'd like to get involved, please get in touch!

We had a WONDERFUL experience with EuroPride Week in Göteborg this year! Besides a panel discussion on Friday with Martha McDevitt-Pugh (chair of DA's Global LGBT Caucus) and Ian Higham (DA-Sweden member and political researcher) during the Human Rights Conference (with moderator Maria Sjödin, former chair of RFSL)

and that evening a "DNC reception" with Martha and our own Adrianne George (both are elected DNC members representing Democrats Abroad),

 we had a literature/information booth several days where we gave out hundreds of Elect a Clown/Democrats Believe cards, 

and then we marched in the parade on Saturday and gave out at least a thousand more! 

The Make America Gay Again posters (showing Trump in bad drag) were EXTREMELY popular. Also buttons!