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Tag: Chelsea Manning

  • Chelsea Manning Is Now on Twitter

    Chelsea Manning Is Now on Twitter

    Here’s an interesting one for your #FollowFriday.

    Convicted Wikileaks leaker Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, is now on Twitter.

    She first tweeted around noon on Friday, and has since published a handful of tweets. According to Manning, she plans to tweet on a regular basis – daily if possible. “Tweeting from prison reqs a lot of effort and using a voice phone to dictate #90sproblems,” she wrote.

    Check out her tweets:

    The Daily Dot confirmed with FitzGibbon Media that it is in fact Chelsea Manning. She’s not allowed a smartphone in jail, of course, so her tweets are coming through FitzGibbon via phone.

    Chelsea Manning recently scored a couple of wins in court. Last month, a court ruled that henceforth, Chelsea Manning must be referred to in female or gender-neutral terms. A few weeks before that, Manning was granted the hormone therapy she’d been requesting since she was locked up.

    In August of 2013, Pvt. Chelsea (then Bradley) Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for supplying WikiLeaks with 700,000 classified documents in 2010. Manning was found guilty on charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice – but was spared the charge of “aiding the enemy”, the most serious of all the charges. If convicted of that crime, Manning could have faced up the 90 years behind bars.

  • Chelsea Manning Can No Longer Be Referred To With Male Pronouns, Says Court Order

    Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, has won the right to “she” and “her”.

    In a court order issued on Wednesday, it was made adamantly clear that henceforth, Chelsea Manning must be referred to in female or gender-neutral terms.

    The court order stated, “All future formal papers filed before this court and all future orders and decisions issued by this court shall either be neutral, eg Private First Class Manning or appellant, or employ a feminine pronoun.”

    However, Chelsea Manning will remain “Bradley Manning”, or “he” and “him”, for the previous legal proceedings before his/her transition.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZixH7YBYso

    Chase Strangio, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, which was involved in Manning’s defense, said, “The court rightly recognized that dignifying Chelsea’s womanhood is not the trivial matter that the government attempted to frame it as.”

    Chelsea Manning, who was convicted in 2013 of handing over more than 700,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks, has already won the right to the name change, the hormone therapy for her transition, and even women’s underwear.

    “This is an important distinction for Chelsea, both personally and legally,” Chelsea Manning’s attorney, Nancy Hollander, told People. “But it’s most important on a personal level.”

    “You would not like being a called a man,” Hollander said to a female journalist. “And neither does she.”

    Despite all of her victories, Chelsea Manning hasn’t won the right to live in female quarters where she is imprisoned at Ft. Leavenworth, Hollander said. But it seems Chelsea Manning won’t fight that.

    Hollander said of Chelsea Manning, “She is housed with male prisoners, and will continue to be housed with them.”

    She added, “She has no problems with her fellow prisoners. She is doing well. As well as one can when in prison.”

    What do you think of Chelsea Manning’s unprecedented gender transition in military prison and her subsequent victories?

  • Chelsea Manning Must Be Referred to As ‘She’ by U.S. Military, Court Rules

    Chelsea Manning Must Be Referred to As ‘She’ by U.S. Military, Court Rules

    Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Marine soldier undergoing gender reassignment from male to female, must be referred to as “she” or the gender-neutral Private First Class Manning, according to a new court order.

    Chelsea Manning, who changed her masculine name from Bradley to Chelses in 2014, is currently serving a 35-year sentence in a Kansas prison for releasing classified documents to WikiLeaks.

    In January, the government banned Chelsea Manning from using female pronouns in filings.

    “Unless directed otherwise by this honourable court, the government intends to refer to [Manning] using masculine pronouns,” the government said last month.

    However, a new court order has ruled that Manning cannot be referred to as a “he.”

    “This is an important distinction for Chelsea, both personally and legally,” attorney Nancy Hollander told People. “But it’s most important on a personal level.

    “You would not like being a called a man,” Hollander said to a female journalist. “And neither does she.”

    Lawyers for Chelsea Manning have maintained that Manning’s gender dysphoria has been “trivialized and discounted by officials,” according to MSN, “barring the Oklahoma native from accessing the critical medical attention she needs.”

    The U.S. Military still bans transgender individuals from serving in the military.

    Nancy Hollander, Chelsea Manning’s legal adviser, the new ruling is “an important victory for Chelsea, who has been mistreated by the government for years.”

  • Chelsea Manning: Struggling to Learn to Call People What They Want to Be Called

    Chelsea Manning, the Wikileaks superstar we used to know as Bradley Manning, will now be referred to as “she” or a gender-neutral pronoun in all future court proceedings.

    Josh Wolford reported earlier today on the court ruling that means that the U.S. military must stop referring to Manning as “he” or male.

    “This is an important victory for Chelsea, who has been mistreated by the government for years,” said Manning’s attorney Nancy Hollander in a statement. “Though only a small step in a long legal fight, my co-counsel, Vincent Ward, Captain Dave Hammond, and I are thrilled that Chelsea will be respected as the woman she is in all legal filings.”

    Manning fought for hormonal treatment in her transition to womanhood. She won that only after filing a lawsuit in September of last year.

    “She brings this action to compel defendants to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution,” said the lawsuit. Manning’s lawyers claimed that lack of hormonal treatment would cause Manning to “suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety” and that she “is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality.”

    It took the DOD until February of this year to finally give in.

    “After carefully considering the recommendation that (hormone treatment) is medically appropriate and necessary, and weighing all associated safety and security risks presented, I approve adding (hormone treatment) to Inmate Manning’s treatment plan,” wrote Col. Erica Nelson in a memo.

    Manning’s fight — which has all but overshadowed the reason she is imprisoned in the first place — is yet another chapter in America’s struggle to find its place in the gender identity discussion. Other countries and cultures have made peace with this issue long ago. But America seems to want to fight this out on its own, as though the experience of no other cultures has any relevance to us.

    One clue to America’s difficulty with gender identity issues lies in how we label it. While in the U.S. Army, Bradley Manning was diagnosed with “gender identity disorder”. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) calls this “gender dysphoria”. This term is more acceptable to transgendered persons in general because is only addresses the discontent that transgendered persons feel with the anatomical gender of their birth. Calling it a “disorder” stigmatizes and marginalizes people who honestly never felt comfortable with their own bodies.

    Manning says she has felt female since childhood. This is a statement that many Americans are squeamish about. They say things like:

    “If you have a penis, you are a man. End of story.”

    “This must be a mental condition. Something is wrong with them in the head.”

    And then there is the view of the matriarch of TV’s famous Duggar clan, Michelle Duggar, who opposed an ordinance about transgender bathroom rights be recording a robocall to voters that said transgenders are “males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female.” She said these are “men — yes I said men — [who want] to use womens’ and girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping areas and other areas that are designated for females only.”

    The United States in general wants to look at gender as a simple A or B choice. You’re either male of you’re female, the prevailing opinion goes. You can’t be something else, and you can’t switch and it really mean anything.

    But the rest of the world is outpacing the United States on this gender identity issues.

    In India, the Supreme Court recognized a third gender that is neither male nor female, stating “Recognition of transgenders as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue.”

    Less than two months ago, the first transgender mayor was elected in India.

    Some Native American cultures recognized, respected, and even revered third-option gender identities. These were called “two-spirited.”

    Transgender and other options are recognized in Polynesian, Samoan, Thai, Laotian, and Zapotec cultures.

    Perhaps the United States might benefit from looking outside its borders for some answers occasionally. Our culture may be robust and powerful, but it is incredibly young compared to some.

  • Chelsea Manning Wins Fight to Be Called “She”

    In a legal fight overs pronouns, chalk one up for gender rights.

    Chelsea Manning, the Wikileaks leaker formerly known as Bradley Manning, will now be referred to as “she” or a gender-neutral pronoun in all future court proceedings.

    “This is an important victory for Chelsea, who has been mistreated by the government for years,” said Manning’s attorney Nancy Hollander in a statement. “Though only a small step in a long legal fight, my co-counsel, Vincent Ward, Captain Dave Hammond, and I are thrilled that Chelsea will be respected as the woman she is in all legal filings.”

    What this means, in effect, is that the US military must stop referring to Chelsea Manning as a man.

    In September of last year Manning sued the US Department of Defense, claiming she had been “denied access to medically necessary treatment” in connection with a gender disorder.

    “She brings this action to compel defendants to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution,” said the lawsuit. Manning’s lawyers claimed that lack of hormonal treatment would cause Manning to “suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety” and that she “is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality.”

    Manning accused the military of stalling.

    But then last month, the DoD gave in.

    “After carefully considering the recommendation that (hormone treatment) is medically appropriate and necessary, and weighing all associated safety and security risks presented, I approve adding (hormone treatment) to Inmate Manning’s treatment plan,” wrote Col. Erica Nelson in a memo.

    Above: Army Image of Chelsea Manning, in 2012, when known as Bradley Manning

  • Chelsea Manning Will Receive Hormone Therapy Following Suit

    Chelsea Manning, the Wikileaks leaker formerly known as Bradley Manning, is finally getting the hormone treatments she’s been demanding for months.

    In September of last year Manning sued the US Department of Defense, claiming she had been “denied access to medically necessary treatment” in connection with a gender disorder.

    “She brings this action to compel defendants to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution,” said the lawsuit. Manning’s lawyers claimed that lack of hormonal treatment would cause Manning to “suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety” and that she “is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality.”

    Manning and the ACLU said that the military was stalling.

    Now, after many months, they’ve caved. USA Today obtained the internal memo, which grants Manning the “medically appropriate and necessary” treatments.

    “After carefully considering the recommendation that (hormone treatment) is medically appropriate and necessary, and weighing all associated safety and security risks presented, I approve adding (hormone treatment) to Inmate Manning’s treatment plan,” wrote Col. Erica Nelson in the memo.

    The American Civil Liberties Union, who has represented Chelsea Manning, applauded the decision.

    “We are thrilled for Chelsea that the government has finally agreed to initiate hormone therapy as part of her treatment plan,” said Chase Strangio, an attorney with the ACLU. “This is an important first step in Chelsea’s treatment regimen and one that is in line with the recommendations of all of her doctors and the basic requirements of the Eighth Amendment.”

    Still, it’s not a total victory. According to Strangio, the officials at Leavenworth are still refusing to let Manning grow her hair out – a step in her transformation that he describes as “critical”.

    In August of 2013, Pvt. Chelsea (then Bradley) Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for supplying WikiLeaks with 700,000 classified documents in 2010. Manning was found guilty on charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice – but was spared the charge of “aiding the enemy”, the most serious of all the charges. If convicted of that crime, Manning could have faced up the 90 years behind bars.

    Shortly after sentencing, Manning revealed that she was transgender, suffering from “gender dysphoria” – a condition in which a person does not identify with the sex assigned at birth.

    It was recently announced that Chelsea Manning would soon begin writing columns on “war, gender, and freedom of information” for the US wing of The Guardian.

    Above: Army Image of Chelsea Manning, in 2012 when known as Bradley Manning

  • Chelsea Manning to Write Columns for The Guardian

    Chelsea Manning, the Wikileaks leaker formerly known as Bradley Manning who was recently sentenced to 35 years in prison, has joined The Guardian US as a contributor.

    The Guardian US’ editor-in-chief says that Manning will write on “war, gender, and freedom of information”.

    According to Politico, Manning will not be compensated.

    In August of 2013, Pvt. Chelsea (then Bradley) Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for supplying WikiLeaks with 700,000 classified documents in 2010. Manning was found guilty on charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice – but was spared the charge of “aiding the enemy”, the most serious of all the charges. If convicted of that crime, Manning could have face up the 90 years behind bars.

    Shortly after her sentencing, Manning revealed that she was transgender, suffering from “gender dysphoria” – a condition in which a person does not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth.

    Manning recently sued the Department of Defense over allegedly stalled gender treatments.

  • Chelsea Manning Sues US Gov’t Over Stalled Gender Treatments

    Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense. In it, the Wikileaks leaker claims that she has been “denied access to medically necessary treatment” in connection with a gender disorder.

    “She brings this action to compel defendants [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the federal government] to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution,” says the suit, according to CNN. If the requests are denied, said Manning’s lawyers, she “will suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety and is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality.”

    In August of 2013, Pvt. Chelsea (then Bradley) Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for supplying WikiLeaks with 700,000 classified documents in 2010. Manning was found guilty on charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice – but was spared the charge of “aiding the enemy”, the most serious of all the charges. If convicted of that crime, Manning could have face up the 90 years behind bars.

    Shortly after her sentencing, Manning revealed that she was transgender, suffering from “gender dysphoria” – a condition in which a person does not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth. Soon, Manning began demanding treatment for the condition, including hormone therapy.

    In July of this year, Manning’s request to be transferred to a civilian prison to begin treatment was approved – but according to the new lawsuit things have stalled. Or better yet, people are stalling.

    “I have not yet seen their treatment plan, and in over eight months, I have not received any response as to whether the plan will be approved or disapproved, or whether it follows the guidelines of qualified health professionals,” says the lawsuit.

    Manning also wishes to be able to grow out her hair and modify her dress to better express her gender identity.

    The White House will reportedly address the lawsuit “in the coming weeks.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Chelsea Manning to Begin Gender Treatments

    Chelsea Elizabeth Manning, born Bradley Edward Manning, the United States Army soldier convicted last July of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, is set to start a basic treatment for her gender identity condition.

    Manning was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment after being found guilty of 17 espionage-related charges, and is eligible for parole after eight years served. Manning is presently being held in a military lockup at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Bureau of Prisons rejected the Army’s request to accept her transfer to a civilian facility. Thursday Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel approved the Army’s recommendation to keep Manning in military custody and start a rudimentary level of gender treatment.

    Military prisons, which are generally regarded as being safer than civilian prisons, might not have the knowledge and means to afford Manning proper care, according to defense officials. Though, Manning might now be allowed to wear women’s undergarments, and begin hormone treatment. Which might lead to a decision as to when it becomes time for her to be transferred to an all-female facility.

    In April, 2010, Manning emailed her then supervisor, Master Sergeant Paul Adkins, explaining her gender dysphoria. She attached a photograph of herself dressed as a woman, and wrote:

    This is my problem. I’ve had signs of it for a very long time. It’s caused problems within my family. I thought a career in the military would get rid of it. It’s not something I seek out for attention, and I’ve been trying very, very hard to get rid of it by placing myself in situations where it would be impossible. But, it’s not going away; it’s haunting me more and more as I get older. Now, the consequences of it are dire, at a time when it’s causing me great pain in itself …

    Manning has been a polarizing character during the age of Wikileaks and Edward Snowden. Some have seen her as a patriot, others as a traitor. The gender treatment approval is likewise a polarizing matter:

    In May, Manning’s lawyer David Coombs commented, “It has been almost a year since we first filed our request for adequate medical care. I am hopeful that when the Army says it will start a ‘rudimentary level’ of treatment that this means hormone replacement therapy.” If the military fails to provide hormone therapy, Coombs said he will take “appropriate legal action to ensure Chelsea finally receives the medical treatment she deserves and is entitled to under the law.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Chelsea Manning: Pentagon Considering Transfer To Civilian Prison For Gender Treatment

    Pentagon is weighing the option to transfer Chelsea Manning to a civilian prison in order for her to get treatment for gender disorder.

    Manning, born Bradley Edward Manning, is a soldier who was convicted of violating the Espionage Act. Manning, who was an intelligence analyst for an army unit in Iraq, leaked classified information to WikiLeaks in 2010. She was arrested on May 2010, and was charged with 22 offenses.

    According to Read Adm. John F. Kirby, the spokesman for the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel approved a request from the Army to assess potential treatments for inmates who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Chelsea Manning, who is housed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, may be transferred to a federal prison.

    Manning entered the Army as Bradley, but has since then been diagnosed with gender dysphoria – the sense of being a woman in a man’s body. The transfer would allow Manning to decide if she wants to be completely transformed into a woman. However, transgender people are not permitted to serve in the military.

    The request for transfer now poses a problem for the department. The military said that they do not have the medical expertise to offer treatment for Manning’s condition. She also cannot be discharged from military service until she serves her 35-year prison sentence.

    Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs, said that moving to a civilian prison would be a risk for his client’s safety. He said, “It is common knowledge that the federal prison system cannot guarantee the safety and security of Chelsea in the way that the military prison system can.”

    Kirby said that the Pentagon has not made a decision regarding the matter. However, they will make sure that whatever decision they make will accommodate Manning’s medical needs, as well as make sure that she remains in prison.

    Manning openly stated that she wanted to change her name to Chelsea and live as a woman after she was convicted.

    Image via YouTube

  • Chelsea Manning Looks To Transfer To Civilian Prison For Hormone Therapy

    Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, is serving a 35 year prison sentence at a military detention center for leaking classified military documents to Wikileaks. Shortly after she was sentenced, Chelsea revealed that she was transgender and would like everybody to address her by her new chosen name. She also requested that she receive hormone therapy while in prison – a request the military may finally oblige.

    Reuters reports that the military may transfer Manning to a civilian prison. As it currently stands, Manning can not receive the treatment she desires in a military prison as it’s not outfitted to address transgender needs. At a civilian prison, the options available to Manning are greatly expanded.

    So, why is Manning requesting hormone treatment in the first place? She currently has what medical professionals call “gender dysphoria” – a condition where one is not happy with the gender they born into. For those who have the condition, they can either seek hormonal therapy, psychotherapy or both. At a civilian prison, Manning would be able to receive both as she embraces the gender she always felt she should be.

    Of course, none of this is set in stone for now. In a statement released to the press, Rear Admiral John Kirby said the military is currently weighing its options:

    “No decision to transfer Private Manning to a civilian detention facility has been made, and any such decision will, of course, properly balance the soldier’s medical needs with our obligation to ensure Private Manning remains behind bars.”

    Understandably, the military is concerned that Manning may slip through the cracks if she transfers. Still, it would be inhumane to not give Manning the treatment she needs. In a world where transgender rights are still woefully ignored and belittled, the military can set a good example for the rest of the nation by treating Manning with respect and dignity in regards to her needs.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Chelsea Manning: Lawyer To Appeal 35 Year Sentence

    Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, was sentenced in August to 35 years in prison for releasing 700,000 classified government documents to WikiLeaks in 2010.

    Now Manning’s lawyer plans to appeal the 35-year prison sentence. Albuquerque, New Mexico attorney Nancy Hollander and her law partner Vincent Ward were recently retained by Manning to represent her in the next phase of her military court proceedings.

    A sentence of 2.5 years or less is normally given by U.S. courts to others who have given government secrets to the media. In a recent telephone interview Hollander said Manning’s 35-year sentence is out of proportion of the usual 2.5 years or less that is given.

    “It’s a very long sentence compared to other sentences for similar kinds of situations that I’m aware of, or even dissimilar situations like rape and murder,” said Hollander.

    At the trial, military prosecutors called Manning “an anarchist hacker and traitor who indiscriminately leaked information she had sworn to protect, knowing it would be seen by al-Qaida.”

    Supporters of the former intelligence analyst would disagree. They consider Manning a whistleblower who, while working in Iraq, revealed diplomatic hypocrisy and U.S. war crimes.

    While Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy – the most serious charge she faced – she was convicted of 20 crimes, including six violations of the Espionage Act.

    An appeal cannot be filed until trial findings have been finalized by Major General Jeffrey Buchanan, commander of the Military District of Washington, D.C.

    Hollander has yet to receive the trial transcript, so until then discussion of a legal strategy is premature. Though she did say, “I know the issues that I believe are some of the main issues that will come up…It’s the kind of work we do, and it’s a righteous case.” Hollander added that “big issues” involving freedom of information and why certain things are kept secret by the government will come up in the appeals case.

    Having been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, Manning declared after sentencing the desire to live as a woman.

    Manning is currently serving her 35-year sentence at Leavenworth Prison in Kansas.

    Images via YouTube.