We don't have much Bradley Manning posting, but I've thought about this case a lot ~ I'm still straddling the fence on whether s/he [no disrespect intended] is a hero or a traitor ~ I'm thinking a solid argument can be made for either argument ~ I do find it reprehensible that Manning is imprisoned and Darth Cheney is not, but that's a topic for a different thread ~ there has been a lot of speculation during the lead to and trial about Manning's sexuality ~ not sure why THAT was a focus, except that it seems to be a focus on everyone everywhere for a reason I just don't get ~ but ... I'm curious if and how Manning's admission now will affect any appeal filed ~ Sooz

Thursday, Aug 22, 2013 08:13 AM CDT
Bradley Manning: “I am Chelsea Manning. I am female”
"As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me," the whistle-blower said. VIDEO
By Katie Mcdonough

Bradley Manning, the whistle-blower sentenced to 35 years in military prison for leaking classified documents, announced Thursday she identifies as transgender and intends to transition from living as a man to living as a woman. (Manning has alluded to her gender identity before, though this is by far her most conclusive public statement.) In a statement released to the Today Show, Manning requested that the public use the feminine pronoun when referring to her, and call her by her chosen name, Chelsea Manning.

During her trial, Manning’s defense team suggested stress related to her gender identity may have been a factor in her decision to leak, though her attorneys maintained that Manning was primarily motivated by a “strong moral compass” and, in Manning’s own words, a desire to “help people, not hurt people.”

Manning came out as transgender in an April 2010 email to a former supervisor, but at the time referred to her gender identity as “my problem” and said she had hoped joining the army would allow her to “get rid of it.”

David Coombes, Manning’s attorney, said Thursday that he hopes officials at Fort Leavenworth military prison will “do the right thing” and provide hormone therapy for Manning as she begins her transition. “If Fort Leavenworth does not, then I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they are forced to do so,” he added.

Manning’s statement in full:


And the Today Show segment with Coombes: [Sooz says video accessible via end link]

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/22/bradley_manning_i_am_chelsea_manning_i_am_female/

If this chap is a "criminal" then so was Daniel Ellsberg.
Exposing ciminal acts by one's government isn't treason. It is a public service and should be rewarded, not condemned.

I honestly do not have a ton of sympathy for Manning, male or female.

I don't understand the case enough to have an opinion.

From my infamous "saved to read/post later" file ~ I'm not sure this is a military responsibility ~ but this post makes a strong argument for that ~ I need to think about this ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating info in the original ~ Sooz

Why The Military Should Be Prepared To Offer Chelsea Manning Hormone Therapy
By Zack Ford on August 22, 2013 at 3:08 pm

Pfc. Chelsea Manning (née Bradley Manning) announced Thursday that she identifies as transgender, prompting many conversations about transgender identities and the fate of transgender people in prison. Manning’s circumstances in this regard are unique, as she will be serving her time at Fort Leavenworth, a military prison, which released a statement clarifying it “does not offer sex reassignment or hormone therapy for the inmates housed at the facility.”

Even after the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a transgender identity still disqualifies an individual from military service. Military regulations consider a transgender identity a medical disorder, even though psychiatrists no longer use the word “disorder” to describe such identities. Thus, any active duty servicemember who came out as trans would be booted from the military, much as gays and lesbians were under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

But Manning was convicted of crimes by a military court, and she has been sentenced to serve time in a military prison. In fact, Fort Leavenworth is the only military prison for servicemembers sentenced to 10 or more years of confinement. Thus, her fate is bound to that of the military even though her identity would otherwise disqualify her from continued military service were she not a prisoner. This is a situation the military prison system has likely never encountered.

Still, there is also precedent that could — and arguably should — work in Manning’s favor. The Veteran’s Administration has extended many benefits and protections to transgender veterans, including the right to access trans-related healthcare and a process for changing one’s gender records. In particular, the health benefits stipulate that hormone therapy should be covered if the “appropriate health care professional determines that the care is needed to promote, preserve, or restore the health of the individual and is in accord with generally-accepted standards of medical practice.”

The same standard should apply to Manning. It remains unclear what her doctors have said or might yet say about how best to respond to her gender identity. If they recommend that her mental health and general well-being are dependent upon her ability to begin physically transitioning with the use of hormone therapy, the military will have to reconsider its policy. As the American Civil Liberties Union has pointed out, denying Manning treatment that her doctors have prescribed could raise “serious constitutional concerns,” such as violations of her right of equal protection and/or her freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.

Pentagon spokesman George Wright echoed the prison’s statement that inmates cannot receive surgery or hormone therapy, but proclaimed that they “are treated equally regardless of race, rank, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.” To be treated “equally,” Manning would have to receive all prescribed healthcare just as other prisoners do. If she is selectively prevented from that right, it would constitute pure anti-transgender discrimination on the military’s part.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/08/22/2512651/military-manning-hormone-therapy/