A Judge in Leavenworth, Kan., has allowed Bradley Manning, who’s serving time in the Army prison there for espionage, to change her name to Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.
Army specialists say Manning, has gender dysphoria; while physically a man, Manning identifies as a woman. Pentagon spokesman George Wright says Wednesday's brief court hearing won’t change Manning’s treatment in the all-male U.S. disciplinary barracks.
“This court action is only a name change, and will have no other effect on his current status, other than the name in his record,” said Wright.
It won’t even alter how Manning is addressed in prison.
“Aall prisoners there are referred to as inmate, and then their last name,” Wright said.
The Army doesn’t offer medical treatment for gender dysphoria, soldiers with it are normally just dismissed from the service.
Of course, inmate Manning can’t be, not until after serving a 35-year sentence for leaking some 700,000 secret documents to WikiLeaks.
