Bradley Manning says he plans to live as a woman and begin hormone therapy: "I Am Chelsea Manning"

[kpete]

NEW YORK (AP) — Bradley Manning says he plans to live as a woman and begin hormone therapy, a day after the soldier was sentenced to 35 years in prison for sending classified information to WikiLeaks.

In a written statement provided to NBC's "Today" show on Thursday morning, Manning said he planned to live as a woman named Chelsea.

"As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning, I am a female," Manning, 25, said in the statement read on NBC News' "Today" show.


"Given the way that I feel and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible," Manning said. "I also request that starting today you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-bradley-manning-woman-20130822,0,4128824.story

A military judge announced the sentence in Manning's court-martial on Wednesday. Manning's struggle with gender identity disorder — his sense that he was a man trapped in a woman's body — was a key part of his defense.

Attorneys had presented evidence of Manning's struggle with gender identity, including a photo of the soldier in a blond wig and lipstick that he sent to a therapist.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/new-tactics-emerge-fight-mannings-freedom
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/bradley-manning-attorney-plans-new-tactics-in-fight-to-free-him-including-presidential-pardon/2013/08/22/a3739566-0b02-11e3-89fe-abb4a5067014_story.html

[Blue_Tires]

1. He knows he's going to prison, right?

I can appreciate that Manning has been under an insurmountable amount of mental/psychological stress since first being arrested, but it just seems strange to bring this up now...

[davidn3600]

2. I guess only coming out with it now because it was supposed to be a part of his defense