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‘I am Chelsea Manning. I am female’
‘I am Chelsea Manning. I am female’
Meredith Clark, @MeredithLClark
7:58 AM on 08/22/2013
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Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, June 5, 2013, after the third day of his court martial. Manning is charged with indirectly aiding the enemy by sending troves of classified material to WikiLeaks. He faces up to life in prison. (Photo by Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, June 5, 2013, after the third day of his court martial. Manning is charged with indirectly aiding the enemy by sending troves of classified material to WikiLeaks. He faces up to life in prison. (Photo by Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)
Bradley Manning is now Chelsea Manning
“As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me,” Manning said in a statement read during an exclusive TODAY show interview with lawyer David Coombs. “I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way I have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible.”
While Fort Leavenworth, the prison where Manning will serve her sentence, does not offer hormone therapy, Coombs told host Savannah Guthrie he would fight to ensure his client received the medical treatment she needed. He also said he and Manning had not discussed sex reassignment surgery, and that getting her access to the needed hormones is his priority at this time.
Asked why Chelsea Manning had not made a statement about her gender before the trial was over, Coombs said, “She didn’t want this to be something that overshadowed the case.”
Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison Wednesday for the largest leak in U.S. history, a sentence that could set the tone of future prosecutions of those who leak classified information. The 25-year-old was convicted of 20 criminal counts, including espionage and disobeying orders, for providing 700,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks.
Coombs and the defense team cited Manning’s struggle with shame and confusion over her gender identity as a mitigating factor during sentencing proceedings. Her identity as a trans-woman first became a topic of discussion in the case after chat logs with government informant and hacker Adrian Lamo featuring statements about gender were leaked to the public.
The defense introduced a photo Manning emailed to her supervisor, Master Sgt Paul Adkins, with the subject line “my problem.” It showed Manning in a blonde wig and wearing lipstick. Worsley also testified about how the military’s “hypermasculine environment” and hostility towards LGBT soldiers could have contributed to Manning’s depression and sense of isolation
Dr. David Moulton, the forensic psychologist assigned to review Manning’s case, said that Manning was suffering from gender identity disorder, a diagnosis supported by a military sanity board.
“The ultimate goal is to be comfortable in her skin,” Coombs said.
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/08/22/i-am-chelsea-manning-to-live-as-a-woman/?utm=fb
Meredith Clark, @MeredithLClark
7:58 AM on 08/22/2013
Twitter177
Facebook274
16
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, June 5, 2013, after the third day of his court martial. Manning is charged with indirectly aiding the enemy by sending troves of classified material to WikiLeaks. He faces up to life in prison. (Photo by Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)
Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., Wednesday, June 5, 2013, after the third day of his court martial. Manning is charged with indirectly aiding the enemy by sending troves of classified material to WikiLeaks. He faces up to life in prison. (Photo by Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)
Bradley Manning is now Chelsea Manning
“As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me,” Manning said in a statement read during an exclusive TODAY show interview with lawyer David Coombs. “I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way I have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible.”
While Fort Leavenworth, the prison where Manning will serve her sentence, does not offer hormone therapy, Coombs told host Savannah Guthrie he would fight to ensure his client received the medical treatment she needed. He also said he and Manning had not discussed sex reassignment surgery, and that getting her access to the needed hormones is his priority at this time.
Asked why Chelsea Manning had not made a statement about her gender before the trial was over, Coombs said, “She didn’t want this to be something that overshadowed the case.”
Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison Wednesday for the largest leak in U.S. history, a sentence that could set the tone of future prosecutions of those who leak classified information. The 25-year-old was convicted of 20 criminal counts, including espionage and disobeying orders, for providing 700,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks.
Coombs and the defense team cited Manning’s struggle with shame and confusion over her gender identity as a mitigating factor during sentencing proceedings. Her identity as a trans-woman first became a topic of discussion in the case after chat logs with government informant and hacker Adrian Lamo featuring statements about gender were leaked to the public.
The defense introduced a photo Manning emailed to her supervisor, Master Sgt Paul Adkins, with the subject line “my problem.” It showed Manning in a blonde wig and wearing lipstick. Worsley also testified about how the military’s “hypermasculine environment” and hostility towards LGBT soldiers could have contributed to Manning’s depression and sense of isolation
Dr. David Moulton, the forensic psychologist assigned to review Manning’s case, said that Manning was suffering from gender identity disorder, a diagnosis supported by a military sanity board.
“The ultimate goal is to be comfortable in her skin,” Coombs said.
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/08/22/i-am-chelsea-manning-to-live-as-a-woman/?utm=fb
now----------what did he do again? we are so distracted by media and sensationalism and of course sex sells........
i do have compassion for him.........way out of his league now...
i do have compassion for him.........way out of his league now...
I think the joker is trying to pull at someones heart strings, looking for some sympathy or leniency. I think this person is doing all he can to muddy the waters.... I don't care if this guy wants to be a woman, but it should have no bearing on where he serves. More importantly, no red cent of tax payer money should be spent on his hormone treatment... not one, and if the government caves on this, I will crap a meat axe.
I am not disputing he does feel he is a women, and have no issue at all with those that were born into the wrong body. It happens, and it's always difficult for those it happens to. If he is genuinely a women, then my heart hurts for him. I do have an issue with his lawyers trying to use this though - to me that is exploitation of a very real problem many face. Just my opinion.
Naive, in how he was caught, if nothing else, though I suspect he was naive in many ways.
Did you know he was only caught because someone he confided in online, a person who had been a hacker, turned him in ??
Naive in not realizing how harshly he would be treated if caught.
If you read look into his history, it's quite tragic.
I have mixed feelings about the whole gender thing, though certainly some people do indeed feel they were born in the wrong body.
Did you know he was only caught because someone he confided in online, a person who had been a hacker, turned him in ??
Naive in not realizing how harshly he would be treated if caught.
If you read look into his history, it's quite tragic.
I have mixed feelings about the whole gender thing, though certainly some people do indeed feel they were born in the wrong body.
Ah, ok. I better understand now. I'm a bit slow these days..lol. I just couldn't figure out how this impacted his sentencing. Thanks!!
It doesn't impact the sentence, but it could impact where the sentence is served.
But that's what I don't understand I guess. How could this coming out at sentencing time impact the sentence? I'm missing something I think. Are they claiming mental health issues due to this? What point is the defense trying to make with this?
Curious thing tho, cause I read that this person had sent emails and correspondence to his superiors regarding gender identity. Under the rules he should have been removed from his post long before any of this happened but due to under staffing and shortages, he was held onto. I do however find it curious that all this comes out at the sentencing. That seems waay to convenient to me.
You're right, a crime is a crime and the issue of gender should not come into play; that's why is seems suspicious, coming out now.
I'm confused as to how this issue even comes into play. A crime is a crime, and not clear on how gender identity even plays a role? Two completely seperate issues for me.
"Well it could be by doing the gender thingee, she might get into a female facility where because of her gender identity would not be raped by men." Agree, but don't forget there are some pretty tough cookies in the female part of the prison, who prey on those weaker than they and might be into raping her/him as well. I think s/he'd be fair game in either part of the prison. S/he might have a rude awakening in store.
I agree that gender changing hormones, not previously being taken and for which s/he can not pay, are not "medically necessary".
I think we all see this the same way; we don't want anyone who is really struggling with gender identity to suffer, but the timing does seem somewhat suspicious.
I agree that gender changing hormones, not previously being taken and for which s/he can not pay, are not "medically necessary".
I think we all see this the same way; we don't want anyone who is really struggling with gender identity to suffer, but the timing does seem somewhat suspicious.
I think we see this the same way teko. :>) I don't want to sound dismissive to anyone struggling emotionally with gender identity but pretty interesting timing. I'm just not sure it's a get out of jail free card or an excuse for committing such crimes as manning did.
Well it could be by doing the gender thingee, she might get into a female facility where because of her gender identity would not be raped by men. We all know how the guys think about someone like this that has male parts and claim to be female. They are fair game for playtime. It could also be a ploy to get that presidential pardon, but they say he/she will probably be out in 7 years anyways.
Im not thinking hormones is something that we need to be offering someone in prison, unless they were on them previously and can pay for them.
It does seem to be very convenient I admit but dont know enuff about the issue to give educated judgement. LOL
Im not thinking hormones is something that we need to be offering someone in prison, unless they were on them previously and can pay for them.
It does seem to be very convenient I admit but dont know enuff about the issue to give educated judgement. LOL
Okay, back tracking. That is a tiny bit harsh on my part. But I have a problem with this person, male or female.
I find this whole thing incredibly annoying. As in I can barely read things about this case. Tool.. Total tool . . . gender one way or the other has nothing to do with that.
I also think lawyers are shameless with what they will throw in as a mitigating factor. PLEEAAASSEEE. How would gender confusion have anything to do with this? They are giving a bad name to those that struggle with this dilemma.
Since when is hormonal therapy needed to become a different sex 'needed medical treatment'? I'm wondering if the female quarters are better than the male and if this isn't the motivation. Sorry, but manning's motives at this point deserve scrutiny.
I also think lawyers are shameless with what they will throw in as a mitigating factor. PLEEAAASSEEE. How would gender confusion have anything to do with this? They are giving a bad name to those that struggle with this dilemma.
Since when is hormonal therapy needed to become a different sex 'needed medical treatment'? I'm wondering if the female quarters are better than the male and if this isn't the motivation. Sorry, but manning's motives at this point deserve scrutiny.
Not sure how naive he/she is, but definately should have been seeing a counselor long before now.
Poor Bradley, or Chelsea. I really do feel sorry for this naive young person who stirred up a hornet's nest and is paying dearly for it.
Your comment reminds me of a famous line from June Cleaver on the Leave it to Beaver Show
"Ward, don't you think you're being a little bit hard on the Beaver?"
"Ward, don't you think you're being a little bit hard on the Beaver?"
She is HE. Nothing to accomodate, HE goes to the men's section. HE should not receive hormone's on my dime.
If HE wants to undergo surgery and whatever then HE can pay for it.
If HE wants to undergo surgery and whatever then HE can pay for it.
Ya know what my first thought on all this surrounding this person is. Without going into depth, my very first thought is Wow! This person has a full plate. Just the stress of it all I cannot imagine. And will she go to the womens section or the mens in prison I wonder. Will they accommodate her?
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