Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
The CW is doing its part to support more trans representation in entertainment with the casting of activist Nicole Maines in Supergirl’s fourth season. Maines will be playing Nia Nal, a transgender woman who will become the superhero Dreamer. The character is new to DC Comics—Dreamer was created exclusively for the show and will be the first transgender superhero on TV.
Maines is a transgender actress and activist who helped set a precedent for allowing transgender students to use the male or female restroom of their choice after a Maine Supreme Court ruled that her rights had been violated under the state’s Human Rights Act.
In an interview with Variety, Maines talks about the importance of trans representation in the media, saying, “What we see on television has a very dramatic effect on our society…Having trans people play trans roles show that we are valid in our identities and we exist.”
The casting decision was announced last Saturday at International Comic-Con: San Diego. Supergirl returns Oct. 14 on The CW.
