In a first for TV, the CW’s Supergirl now has a transgender superhero. Nia Nal, better known as Dreamer, debuted this past October and appears on the show as a reporter working alongside Kara “Supergirl” Danvers at CatCo.
For most Supergirl viewers, Dreamer’s trans status is a point of pride for the series, in part because trans actress Nicole Maines portrays her on the show. But not everyone is happy about Maines’ appearance and her character’s gender identity. Case in point, the Washington Examiner published a piece claiming Supergirl has a trans woman on the show “just to be ‘woke.’”
“This effort to cast a transgender character in a main role on a popular show for kids is a blatant attempt to normalize a movement,” writer Nicole Russell says in the post. “This not only fails to represent the majority of children’s experiences, but attempts to indoctrinate them at an age when they are the most impressionable.”
Of course, the Washington Examiner’s take is incredibly transphobic. Russell acts as if Supergirl is indoctrinating children and fails to acknowledge the fact that trans children are out there and real. Likewise, she also attacks Maines by unfairly claiming she has “few acting credits to her name,” as if Supergirl chose the actress solely because she’s also an activist.
“If children watch shows like this without interacting with adults about it or observing it with critical reasoning skills, they could end up more confused than inspired, more frustrated than encouraged,” Russell concludes.
Twitter quickly fired back, pointing out that the show has a trans woman… because trans women exist in the world and deserve representation.
https://twitter.com/owillis/status/1072376160338800641
bold of you to say that when trans people actually exist and superheroes don’t https://t.co/t4yhrBMiAM
— betsy (@beaujes) December 12, 2018
Maybe it has a trans character because those people exist
— He-Hulk: Attorney at Law (@TrevvyTrev) December 11, 2018
bold of you to say that when trans people actually exist and superheroes don’t https://t.co/t4yhrBMiAM
— betsy (@beaujes) December 12, 2018
Maybe it has a trans character because those people exist
— He-Hulk: Attorney at Law (@TrevvyTrev) December 11, 2018
You actually don’t need a reason to have a transgender character on your TV show.
— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) December 11, 2018
Trans people should be on your show simply because trans people exist. https://t.co/8vNZjfdFs2
https://twitter.com/_DivideXZero/status/1072378931913871360
Worried about realism projected to children? Guess what, there are more trans gender people in reality than superheroes.
— Fishful Thinking (@FishBanc) December 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/RobvillaNYNY/status/1072392904923074560
https://twitter.com/PhillipBuck95/status/1072820965254578177
Then there’s the Examiner’s cringey usage of the word “woke.”
So a Transender person existing is “woke”? Fuck you, dickhead.
— NO YOU SHUT UP! (@RichardCasey) December 11, 2018
My life has a transgender character. Guess it wants to be “woke” too.
— Library Squid (@PlagueSquid) December 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/PirateWench/status/1072376469366681600
Not to mention, there’s tons of queer and trans kids out there that want to see trans representation on TV. It’s not like trans children are a myth.
https://twitter.com/abeardedfruit/status/1072681844389408768
“we must not validate the experiences of dysphoric children should they grow up to be themselves in a more safe and accepting society” TRANSGENDER HUMAN BEINGS EXIST GET TF OVER IT https://t.co/fVnZOISiml
— Sydney Cade (@sydneycade) December 11, 2018
1) Supergirl’s demographic probably decreased because The CW is a smaller network compared to CBS.
— Michael Vitti (@mvitti417) December 12, 2018
2) There is nothing wrong with fiction being more inclusive.
3) Adults can like superheroes/comics.
4) Transitioning =/= Child abuse. https://t.co/Eww4pQdf04
In short, throw this piece where it belongs: in the trash.
Here’s where this article belongs… pic.twitter.com/ATBC5Tldig
— Black✊🏾 History 365🖤💚❤ (@DreTop1a) December 12, 2018
