How Nicole Maines Is Paving the Way for the Next Generation of LGBTQ Youth

Yesterday “Shape” (english fitness magazine) published an interview with Nicole Maines (an American actress, participated in television series as a guest in Royal Pains and has a regular role in Supergirl). She shares the story of her transgender life, her coming out and the attitude of her family.

Nicole Maines began her time in the spotlight as an activist: in 2014, Maines and her family were at the center of a battle over transgender children and school bathrooms, which ultimately led the state of Maine’s Supreme Court to rule that transgender children are allowed to use the school bathroom designated for the gender with which they identify.

Now, she’s embraced the limelight to continue her activism while also starring as TV’s first transgender superhero in Supergirl. Here, her coming-out story and how she plans to change the world:

“I started identifying as a girl when I was about 3 years old. As soon as I realized that I was not happy in my body, I went up to my parents to fix it. And it felt as natural as going up. 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. 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. I’m able to get in and show folks, ‘this is what it looks like to be trans.’ 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.”