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Transgender Inmate Seeks Name Change

Delaware Department of Correction

Lakisha Short is a transgender who is serving a 55 year sentence in Delaware state prison.

Now, the American Civil Liberties Union is helping her get her name changed to Kai – a request that has been denied by two courts.

The Wilmington News Journal reports that court documents says the 34-year old Short self-identifies as a male and wants to be known by the more masculine name of Kai as a first step.

Delaware state law only allows a name change for a sincerely held religious belief not for gender identification.

The Department of Correction has opposed the name change for that reason and two judges have agreed.

Richard Moore with the ACLU says the case raises issues related to discrimination against transgender individuals.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.