Free Chelsea Manning Now!- Military won’t refer to Chelsea as female in appeals, Manning lawyers file reply

February 20, 2015 by the Chelsea Manning Support Network
Chelsea Manning’s appellate attorneys, Nancy Hollander and Vincent Ward, have filed a motion requesting the use of Chelsea’s legal name, Chelsea Elizabeth Manning, and appropriate female pronouns during her upcoming appeals process. Surprisingly, as hormone therapy has recently been approved for Chelsea, the military has refused this motion.
Hollander and Ward have followed up with an official reply, stating the military’s refusal to use Chelsea’s legal name and female pronouns is inconsistent with the government’s own medical professionals. “Importantly, the government’s own medical professionals refer to appellant as female and use female pronouns when referring to her… Under these circumstances it is wrong and contradictory for the government to insist that the court and parties use masculine pronouns when referring to appellant during the course of this appeal.  Appellant is female, a fact acknowledged by the government’s own medical professionals.”