John C. Anderson

John C. Anderson ( – October 3, 1983) was a member of the Philadelphia City Council from 1979 to 1983. Although it was not widely known at the time, Anderson, a Black gay man, was the first person from the LGBTQ community to serve on the council. In 2023, Rue Landau became the first openly LGBT person elected to the Philadelphia City Council.

Early life and education

Anderson was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Elizabeth Anderson Monteiro, a teacher, and the Rev. Jesse Anderson, Sr (d. 1975), a civil rights activist. His brother was Rev. Jesse Anderson, Jr, one of the founders of Washington DC's Statehood Party.

City Council

In 1979, Anderson was elected as an at-large member to the Philadelphia City Council. Anderson lived in Wynnefield. He was known as “a liberal lion of the time." He helped pass the Housing Opportunities Bill, a move against housing discrimination.

Death

On October 3, 1983, he died of AIDS at the age of 41, though it was reported as he died from sarcoidosis. The Philadelphia Daily News editorialized that he had been "remarkably talented" as a legislator and added "his loss is a loss for the entire city." A portrait of Anderson, painted by William Thomas Whiting, is in the lobby.