Remember Chelsea Manning –

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I just watched an interview with Nancy Hollander, the lawyer representing Chelsea Manning. In 2013 Manning was sentenced to 35 years in military prison for disclosing classified information to Wikileaks while Manning was working for the United States Military in Iraq.  Ms Hollander says the punishment doesn’t fit the crime and is leading Chelsea’s appeal. 

Who is Chelsea Manning?

If you are not familiar with Chelsea Manning’s story, I urge you to read up.  I have my own opinions of the crime’s she’s said to have committed but that’s not the focus of my blog.  She’s an interesting and valuable human being and worth keeping up with. 

During the time she served in the ranks she presented as Bradley Manning, a young male soldier.  It was during her ordeal of pre-trial torture and shortly after the trial that she was moved to reveal her true gender.  It was ironic that in the midst of her confinement she exercised her freedom to be honest, transparent and authentic. She announced her name as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning and so began living her truth.

“As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me,” Manning says. “I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female.

According to a memo obtained by USA TODAY, it’s a first for the Army, Chelsea Manning has been approved for hormone therapy for transition to a woman at the Army’s Fort Leavenworth prison.

Chelsea has been confined for 5 years now but she is very active.

Writing in the Guardian last December, Manning set out her view of gender identity as one of the great civil rights issues of modern day.

According to the editor in chief of Guardian US, Katherine Viner, Ms. Manning will write on war, gender and freedom of information.

In addition to being a contributing opinion writer for the Guardian, Chelsea has also given her first full length interview to Cosmopolitan Magazine.

To your kindness-based life.

Stephanie