'Supergirl' has cast the first transgender hero on television
Activist Nicole Maines will join the series
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TV Supergirl
Heading into its fourth season, 'Supergirl' is passing the cape to television's first-ever transgendered superhero. Activist Nicole Maines is set to join the cast as Nia Nal, a trans woman who realizes her powers to become superhero Dreamer.
The decision to cast Maines is landmark for a few reasons. Not only is she transgendered in real life, but her activism has paved way for many other trans-Americans to have equal rights in the country. As the plaintiff in a defamation case surrounding students' access to the bathroom of their choosing, she fought to recognize the state of Maine’s Human Rights Act.
Sending a message to transgendered people around the world, Maines explained that "We can be whoever we want, we can do whatever we want, we can be superheroes, because in many ways we are," she said, according to Slate.
The fourth season of 'Supergirl' is set to air on October 14, 2018.