Ashley Shade

North Adams City Council

Ashley was the first out trans person elected to office in North Adams!

Biography

Ashley Shade is a current City Councilor running for reelection in North Adams, Massachusetts. She is the first openly transgender person elected to office in Berkshire County. She is a passionate activist and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and has been involved locally in increasing awareness and education on LGBTQ+ issues. As a City Councilor she has led a repeal of the city’s curfew ordinance, and serves as a co-chair of the North Adams Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Commission, which is focused on ensuring the voices of marginalized communities are heard and represented in her city. She believes in the individual bodily autonomy of all human beings and will actively fight to increase the rights of individuals to be protected from government intrusions on bodily autonomy.