THE
EQUALITY
DEFENDER
NICOLE MAINES
Groundbreaking actor who
plays TV’s first transgender
superhero (on Supergirl),
LGBTQ activist
DEFINING MOMENT: “I started identifying as a girl when I was about 3 years old. It seemed the
most natural thing in the world to me. My mom worked with my school to help me transition
slowly. We didn’t want to startle anybody. I began wearing pink, then grew my hair out. By sixth
grade, I had changed my name and was living as a girl full time, and I was a lot happier.”
TAKING A STAND: “A new family moved to town, and they didn’t think it was OK for me to use
the girls’ bathroom. The school decided I had to use the teachers’ bathroom, which sent a message
that I was different. Kids started bullying me. My family lost friends. We sued on the grounds
of discrimination, and in 2014 the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled in our favor. Activism
was not something I thought about until Maine tried to pass a bathroom bill similar to North
Carolina’s. I was asked to go to the statehouse, where I talked to politicians. We defeated the bill by
a huge percentage. After that, I started speaking at schools, colleges, and community centers.”
BREAKING BOUNDARIES: “It feels so good to play the first trans superhero, on Supergirl. I was
scared how the character would be received, but seeing how people love her makes me so happy.
I’m able to go into the living rooms of all kinds of families and give them an honest representation
of a trans person. That’s very satisfying. We’ve made great strides, but we need to keep making
them. There is no finish line. It is a constant effort to promote equality, inclusivity, and tolerance.”On Maines: PH5 Lydia Wide
Leg jumpsuit ($585, ph5.com).
Bogdar Karina coat
($425, bogdar.com).