This article was published on March 23rd, 2020
Superhero fans and LGBTQ members and allies get to rejoice because DC has came out with a new transgender character for season 5 of CW’s Supergirl. The character named Nia Nal, is the descendant of an obscure DC hero named Dreamer who is an alien from the planet Nalthor. According to the CW universe, known as the Arrowverse, the women in Dreamer’s family pass down their powers through the cisgender daughters in their line. That makes Nia Nal a bit of an anomaly, you’ll have to watch the show to see how they explain what’s happening and if the CW is ready to make a real statement on trans issues.
Nia Nal is played by real life transgender celebrity, Nicole Maines. If this name is sounding familiar to you, it might be because Maines was center stage in the notable court case, Doe v. Clenchy. It was the historic court case that decided if transgender children should be allowed to use the school bathroom that corresponds to the gender with which they identify. This case turned out to be a big win for the transgender community, and the entire thing was led by Maines herself. Some might say she is a more of a hero in real life instead of the screen.
That isn’t to say that we should overlook her acting chops. She had a breakout guest star role on USA’s Royal Pains while she was a student at the University of Maine. Later, in 2019, she was the star for the move BIT, where she played a transgender vampire. It’s good to see that she has always been dedicated to promoting transgender issues both on and off the screen. You can read more about her life in her New York Times Bestseller biography, Becoming Nicole: The transformation of an American Family, where she opens up about the challenges facing someone trying to break into a space that was not designed for trans people and members of the LGBQT community.
You can see more of Nicole and her Nia Nal character right now if you’re inclined to check her out, because she is featured on the @supergirlcw Instagram. This week is all about Nicole – Nia Nal and what’s she going to bring to the screen. Her innate personality will be brought to the role considering she is an avid cosplayer and gamer. She loves playing Xbox and the Nintendo Switch to wind down. And according to Maines, playing dress up as a child is what allowed her to express herself before her transition. Dreamer really might be the best character for her to play, as this girl seems to be all about making dreams come true.
