The Times and Transgender Issues (Part 1 of 2): On Pronouns

By: Margaret Sullivan | New York Times

In August 2013, soon after Chelsea Manning announced that she identified as a woman and no longer wanted to be known as Bradley Manning, The Times made a quick – and I thought appropriate – adjustment. Articles began referring to Private Manning with the feminine pronoun and the use of the name Chelsea. It caused a bit of a scramble at the time, because editors were concerned about clarity for readers when referring to the high-profile soldier who had just been sentenced to prison for leaking classified information. But in the end, a ruling principle – the preference of the individual – held sway.