Nicole Maines is an actress and transgender rights activist known for her role on The CW show Supergirl.

Why you should listen

Prior to her acting career, Nicole Maines was the anonymous plaintiff in a Maine Supreme Judicial Court case where she argued her school district could not deny her access to the female bathroom for being transgender. In 2014, the court ruled that barring transgender students from the school bathroom consistent with their gender identity is unlawful, which was the first such ruling by a state court.

As an actress, Maines has played Nia Nal on The CW superhero series *Supergirl* since the fourth season. She is the first to portray a transgender superhero on television.

Nicole Maines’ TED talk