Abigail Dickson Enters Race For Medford City Council

MEDFORD, MA — Growing up on Monument Street in West Medford, Abigail Dickson saw family homes in their neighborhood get turned into luxury condos and apartments by developers who sold or rented them at top dollar.

Those experiences led Dickson to make housing one of their key campaign issues in their run for City Council.

"We can continue to improve our city without driving up the cost of housing for residents and newcomers," Dickson said in a statement. "We need to ensure that affordable housing becomes an integral part of our community. As a current renter in the city, I also understand the unique issues that population faces."

Dickson was homeschooled until enrolling in college at the University of Massachusetts Boston Honors College with a full Chancellor's Scholarship. They graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in women's, gender and sexuality studies and theater arts.

"Being homeschooled shaped me in a unique way," Dickson said. "My parents chose to homeschool me and my siblings because they wanted to give us plenty of agency in our education. I chose to spend my time organizing in my community - making more space for young people and queer people like me."

Dickson worked in the reproductive health and rights arena in college, acting as group coordinator for the Group on Reproductive Health and Rights, based in Cambridge, and as teaching assistant for Professor Shoshanna Ehrlich's "Reproductive Rights and Wrongs." They also worked as a research assistant for Ehrlich’s textbook on family law.

As a community organizer, Dickson was instrumental in founding the Boston Area Homeschoolers' Queer-Straight Alliance and the Mystic LGBTQ Youth Support Network.

"Being a queer person and having the opportunity to advocate for people who share my identity has instilled in me the need to make sure that there is a comfortable space for everyone at the decision-making table," Dickson said.

Dickson serves on the board of the Medford Farmers Market. They love many things about their hometown, including the dual advantages of city living and green spaces.

"I am proud to have been raised in such a thriving, historic neighborhood and community. I can throw myself into the hubbub of community activity - great restaurants, captivating arts, a super-duper farmers market - or immerse myself in the calming tree canopy of the Fells or river walks by the Mystic," Dickson said.

Dickson is the founder and artistic director of the youth theater company Youthquake Theater. In 2015, they gave a TEDx talk discussing their experiences founding and managing the company. Youthquake Theater has presented more than a dozen youth-led productions of Shakespeare plays, including this August’s forthcoming "The Tempest."

Dickson's platform highlights affordable housing, youth engagement, climate action and
resiliency, LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, city services that promote equity and livability, and
charter review to make city government more inclusive and representative. Learn more at
www.dickson4medford.com.