Transgender activist Nicole Maines is
joining the cast of The CW's Supergirl.
Maines, 20, will play Nia Nal, also
known as Dreamer, a young transgender woman with the power to see the
future. Nia Nal will be television's first transgender superhero.
The casting announcement was made
Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con.
Maines was the plaintiff in Doe v.
Clenchy, which was decided by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in
June 2013. The case marked the first time that a state court ruled
it unlawful to deny transgender students access to the bathroom of
their choice.
Maines has previously appeared on the
USA Network drama Royal Pains and the HBO documentary The
Trans List.
“We've had representation on
television for a while, but it hasn't been the right kind of
representation,” Maines told Variety,
referring to non-transgender actors playing transgender roles.
“Now, it's very hopeful and relieving
to watch creators and writers and directors and casting offices
stepping up to put trans people in trans roles, so we can portray
ourselves and we can start to disprove some of those stereotypes
about us.”
“I'm beyond thrilled to be able to do
that in Supergirl,” she added.