Judge Lets Bradley Manning Change Name to Chelsea

The Army private formerly known as Bradley Manning will now officially be known as Chelsea Manning. A Kansas judge today sanctioned the new name of Chelsea Elizabeth Manning and ordered a new birth certificate, reports Reuters. Manning, a male by gender who identifies as female, issued a statement praising the ruling. "Hopefully today's name change, while so meaningful to me personally, can also raise awareness of the fact that we (transgender) people exist everywhere in America today, and that we must jump through hurdles every day just for being who we are."

The ruling, however, won't change Manning's incarceration at Fort Leavenworth, where she is serving a 35-year sentence for espionage, reports AP. Manning wants to go to a women's facility and start receiving hormone treatment, but the Pentagon is balking at both requests. "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," said Manning. (More Chelsea Manning stories.)