The Law

I read the open letter by Heather McNamara to CNN to change the network's position to refer to Private Bradley Manning as the name, Chelsea, and gender, female, he prefers and has chosen to live by in prison. The other media networks have chosen to use Chelsea and female, even NPR reversed their recognition to this.

I personally don't care either way, but there is one thing all the people arguing for Private Manning to be accorded proper recognition. It's called the law. Transgender people may request people use their prefered name and gender but until they get their official name change and documents changed for their gender, they are their legal name and gender.

In that respect CNN is right and others wrong. The transcommunity needs to remember they don't have special rules for prisoners than citizens, and imply prisoners have special privileges not afforded citizens only shows the transcommunity's narrow focus on some people than the greater community of transgender people.

I won't argue Manning deserves some measure of recognition for coming out and speaking out, and the media can choose for themselves how they recognize him or her in their news stories, but the law doesn't change for Manning or the fact of being a prisoner.

Manning can't officially and formally be recognized until he complies with it, like all the rest of the transgender people going through their transition and have to follow the law for their name change and documents changed.

On that issue and matter, nothing changes for Manning or anyone else, so it's fair and reasonable to consider Manning by his past until it's changed to her future. Even the military knows that, but many in the transcommunity don't seem to know or know but don't care.