Bradley Manning, who was convicted recently of leaking classified information while serving in the Army, said in a statement this week that she identifies as a woman and wants to go by the name Chelsea Manning.
"As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me," Manning said, noting that she will seek hormone therapy while in prison. Manning previously discussed her gender identity in a 2010 e-mail to her superior, and an Army psychologist testified that Manning experienced gender dysphoria and personality disorders.
After the announcement, a U.S. Army represented stated that the military does not provide hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery.
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Bradley Manning, an openly gay U.S. Army intelligence analyst who has
admitted to leaking thousands of secret documents published by the
website WikiLeaks, is embraced as a hero by some in the LGBT community,
but reviled by others who believe that he put the lives of fellow
soldiers at risk. Manning's case gained renewed attention recently after
San Francisco Pride bestowed and then rescinded the honorific title of
grand marshal of the 2013 Pride parade. He will stand trial in a
military court in June.
