Supergirl Nia Nal.

[ButterflyBiscuit]

OK OK so it's fiction. But it's the first time I've seen a trans actor that's convicing. There's a character called "Nia Nal" who was born male but appears feminine and is an openly trans character. They genuinely look convincing which I think is unusual. I did wonder if it was full on puberty blockers so theydidn't go through male puberty?

Anyway - there's an episode where she goes back to her family/explains her powers. She is a dreamer and has "powers" but the whole episode is about how powers are passed from mum to daughter and her sister is waiting for her powers to kick in.

The whole point of the episode is that NiaNal has powers (that are normally passed mum to daughter) and how awful it is her sister is unhappy that she was passed over and how this shows Nia is a true daughter.

This probably only makes sense if youve seen it but it screamed to me of a whole episode showing how trans rights trump female rights. And I quite like the character in general and the writing gor her but it seems yet again that a trans storyline shows a born woman not getting what she was entitled to and a trans person taking that from her and we're then supposed to criticise the woman.

I might be alone in having watched this!
(I think with a quick Google its s4 e11 Blood Memory.)

The really annoying thing about that plot line is that the special powers were not just passed down the female line in the comics.

So basically the plot is there to show that the character really does have a female soul/essence/whatever and the sister who is a little put out that she is not the inheritor is a meanie. The sister will no doubt learn the errors of her ways and acknowledge her sibling as a true woman. (So I assume as I stopped watching)

I havent read the comics (just have a child who wants to watch every episode with me so I've watched a lot of supergirl!)

And yes the whole arc of the episode was about her true essence being female so she'd had the powers passed down to her/sister is a meany for feeling passed over etc.

On a separate issue I'm intrigued that I'm more likely to call Nia -"her" as she seems to pass. I've seem a trans actor in a play and spent half of it wondering why the man was pretending to be a mum/was it part of the story etc before I twigged it was a trans actor...

In contrast - series 5 and an episode on an anti trans issue and nia wants to kill the people. .. so perhaps more of the "male violence" coming out.

Looking at articles written about Nicole's transition, she was on puberty blockers very young and by 14 was taking female hormones and had reassignment surgery when starting college so as soon as she turned 18.

I am very against the use of puberty blockers, if you look at Nicole's story we could say 'how wonderful she passes as a woman and is a real success story'.

But what if the decision she made as a pre pubescent child turned out to be wrong? What if at 25 she looked back and thought 'I'm miserable, I hate my body, I wish I had never said it thought I was a girl?'

There's also the factors that we know nothing about because it's unlikely to ever be addressed in an interview. Nicole took puberty blockers before puberty started and then moved to female hormones a few years before having her penis and testicles removed. Has she ever been able to experience an orgasm, was she given any options for preserving sperm for fertility options later on? Do we think honestly that she was able to make informed choices about those things as a child?

Oh gosh that sounds awful to have your genitals removed so young and not to have been through puberty. The harsh reality you describe is quite separate from my "oh she passes" thought 😔.

How awful. I have a teen and so many decisions are fads. I cant imagine life altering surgery at 18.

Just being cynical but perhaps her acting career, which already includes a TV series, will compensate for the lifetime of drugs.

The lifetime of taking HRT and other drugs is one thing.

The certainty of a lifetime of pain, the very likely recurring complications from the procedures, the extremely high chance of never having an orgasm - I’m not sure any amount of fame or career success could compensate for those.