Chelsea Manning. Illustration by Alicia Neal, in cooperation with Manning, commissioned by the Chelsea Manning Support Network, April 23, 2014. Photo: Alicia Neal

Chelsea Manning. Illustration by Alicia Neal, in cooperation with Manning, commissioned by the Chelsea Manning Support Network, April 23, 2014. Photo: Alicia Neal

WASHINGTON — A military appeals court is recognizing the transgender defendant accused of leaking classified information to WikiLeaks as a woman.

The U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington issued the order pertaining to Chelsea Manning on Wednesday.

The court says references to Manning in all future filings, orders and decisions shall use either feminine pronouns or gender-neutral phrases such as “Private First Class Manning.”

The 27-year-old intelligence analyst obtained a legal name change in April. She was cleared last month to receive hormone therapy at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Manning is serving a 35-year sentence for leaking reams of war logs, diplomatic cables and battlefield video to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks in 2010.

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