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No. R-358. House concurrent resolution in memory of global gay rights advocate,
political activist, culinary bibliophile, and chocolatier maven Terje Anderson.
                                         (H.C.R.300)
   Offered by Representatives Greer of Bennington, Casey of Montpelier, Arsenault of
Williston, Austin of Colchester, Bartholomew of Hartland, Berbeco of Winooski, Birong
of Vergennes, Bishop of Colchester, Black of Essex, Bluemle of Burlington, Bos-Lun of
Westminster, Boyden of Cambridge, Brady of Williston, Brown of Richmond, Burke of
Brattleboro, Burkhardt of South Burlington, Burrows of West Windsor, Campbell of St.
Johnsbury, Carris Duncan of Whitingham, Chapin of East Montpelier, Christie of
Hartford, Cole of Hartford, Conlon of Cornwall, Cooper of Pownal, Corcoran of
Bennington, Critchlow of Colchester, Dodge of Essex, Dolan of Essex Junction, Duke of
Burlington, Durfee of Shaftsbury, Eastes of Guilford, Emmons of Springfield, Garofano
of Essex, Goldman of Rockingham, Goodnow of Brattleboro, Graning of Jericho, Harple
of Glover, Holcombe of Norwich, Hooper of Randolph, Houghton of Essex Junction,
Howard of Rutland City, Hoyt of Hartford, Hunter of Manchester, James of Manchester,
Kimbell of Woodstock, Kleppner of Burlington, Kornheiser of Brattleboro, Krasnow of
South Burlington, Krowinski of Burlington, Lalley of Shelburne, LaLonde of South
Burlington, LaMont of Morristown, Long of Newfane, Lueders of Lincoln, Masland of
Thetford, McCann of Montpelier, McGill of Bridport, Mihaly of Calais, Minier of South
Burlington, Morris of Springfield, Morrow of Weston, Mrowicki of Putney, Nigro of
Bennington, Noyes of Wolcott, Nugent of South Burlington, O'Brien of Tunbridge, Ode
of Burlington, Olson of Starksboro, Pezzo of Colchester, Pouech of Hinesburg, Priestley
of Bradford, Rachelson of Burlington, Satcowitz of Randolph, Scheu of Middlebury,
Scully of Burlington, Sheldon of Middlebury, Squirrell of Underhill, Stevens of
Waterbury, Stone of Burlington, Sweeney of Shelburne, Torre of Moretown, Waszazak
of Barre City, Waters Evans of Charlotte, White of Waitsfield, White of Bethel, Wood of
Waterbury, and Yacovone of Morristown
   Whereas, Terje Anderson (who legally changed his name from James to honor his
Swedish heritage) was born on June 29, 1958, in Indiana, Pennsylvania; attended McGill
University; became fluent in French; developed a lifelong interest in Canadian politics;
acquired a taste for Montreal’s restaurants, the start of his passions as an enthusiastic
culinary bibliophile and chocolatier; and derived great joy from being a dog owner, and
   Whereas, beyond the classroom, he embarked on a life dedicated to social justice and
fairness for all, navigating his status as a gay man in an era when gay rights were sparse
and often vehemently opposed locally, nationally, and internationally, and
   Whereas, early on, he served as the Vermont Department of Health’s AIDS program
chief and was a cofounder of Vermont CARES, the State’s first AIDS service
organization, and
    Whereas, Terje Anderson became executive director of the Southern Colorado AIDS
Project in Colorado Springs; was appointed to the Colorado Governor’s AIDS Council;
served as a member of Colorado’s HIV Prevention Community Planning Group and on
the Clinton Administration’s Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS; and,
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eventually, moved to Washington, DC, to become the executive director of the National
Association of People with AIDS, a position that included an extensive international
component; but ultimately, the beauty of Vermont called him north, and he settled in an
inviting, former one-room schoolhouse in Montgomery, and
   Whereas, his political involvement began as a volunteer at 14 years of age on the 1972
Shirley Chisholm presidential primary campaign; he was a leader of Jesse Jackson’s 1984
delegation to the Democratic National Convention (DNC); in 1992, he served as the first
openly gay individual to chair a state delegation to the DNC; in 2017, the Vermont
Democratic Party elected him as its chair; and, in 2020, as a Vermont Electoral College
elector, Terje Anderson appeared live on national television as the Vermont delegation
cast its votes for Joe Biden, and
   Whereas, most recently, he enjoyed working at the Jay Peak Resort, performing
informational and troubleshooting roles, and
    Whereas, Terje Anderson’s pathbreaking life ended with his premature death in a
tragic house fire on March 15, 2026, at 67 years of age, and his survivors include his
sister, Kim Anderson Via; his two nephews; and many friends around the world, now
therefore be it
   Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
   That the General Assembly expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends
of Terje Anderson, and be it further
   Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the family of Terje Anderson and to the Vermont Democratic Party.
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