This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager
On Wednesday,
April 24th, a judge granted Chelsea's request to legally change her name from
"Bradley Edward Manning" to "Chelsea Elizabeth Manning."
Chelsea
shared the following response:
"It’s worth
noting that in both mail and in-person, I’ve often been asked, “Why are you
changing your name?” The answer couldn’t be simpler: because it’s a far better,
richer, and more honest reflection of who I am and always have been –a woman
named Chelsea...
Unfortunately,
the trans* community faces three major obstacles to living a normal life in
America: identity documentation, gender segregated institutions, and access to
healthcare. And I’ve only just jumped through the first one of these
hurdles...
Hopefully
today’s name change, while so meaningful to me personally, can also raise
awareness of the fact that we trans* people exist everywhere in America today,
and that we have must jump through hurdles every day just for being who we are.
If I’m successful in obtaining access to trans healthcare, it will not only be
something I have wanted for a long time myself, but it will also open the door
for many people, both inside and outside the military, to request the right to
live more open, fulfilled lives."
*Note:
Chelsea prefers “Trans*” (with an asterisk) to denote not only transgender men
and women, but also those who identify outside of a gender binary. We recommend
checking out GLAAD's "Transgender 101" blog for more information on
these issues.
Next Up: Appeals. Watch the video from the new defense team's first public
presentation
Our fight
is far from over.
On April 13th,
2014, Chelsea Manning’s new legal defense team, Nancy Hollander and Vincent
Ward, gave their first public presentation alongside NSA whistleblower Thomas
Drake, FBI whistle-blower Mike German, and Courage to Resist organizer Emma
Cape. Video of this event is now available on YouTube.
Chelsea
Manning's appeals are expected to touch on issues of freedom of information,
overclassification, and unlawful pretrial punishment. At the event
presenters discussed how Chelsea is doing in prison, and the importance of the
fight for Chelsea's freedom yet to come.
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