Bradly Manning is Transgender?

[Safe_Bet]

Bradley Manning Announces Female Identity And Wants To Live As A Woman Named Chelsea



First of all, let me say that I consider him to be a patriot and hero.

Secondly, I realize that he has had gender identity / orientation "issues" (I used issues because I don't know the correct non-demeaning word) for quite some time. ( I am also using masculine pronouns here because he hasn't started any form of therapy yet - please correct my usage if I am incorrect in doing so).


I just really, really question WHY he would make the decision to self identify as a woman, NOW?

It makes NO sense to do that and would seem to be pretty dangerous.

Is it real or is he trying to commit suicide by gender identification???

 

[Recidiva]

I would say the lady is in favor of being all the way out of the closet at once, so to speak.

Misguided as the disclosure was, it's very likely it was done in a sense of doing something right, and the gender issue comes out at a time when their lawyers are hoping for sympathy and shooting for a presidential pardon, and really, how much worse could it get for her?

 

[Bramblethorn]

Secondly, I realize that he has had gender identity / orientation "issues" (I used issues because I don't know the correct non-demeaning word) for quite some time. ( I am also using masculine pronouns here because he hasn't started any form of therapy yet - please correct my usage if I am incorrect in doing so).

Can't find the full text of Manning's statement, but excerpt here says: "I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility)". Based on that I'm going with "Chelsea Manning" and "she" from here on.

Re. therapy, I'll note that Ft Leavenworth has already stated they're not going to provide access to hormone therapy or anything else beyond a prison shrink, so you might be waiting a long time before Manning meets that condition.

I just really, really question WHY he would make the decision to self identify as a woman, NOW?

It makes NO sense to do that and would seem to be pretty dangerous.

Is it real or is he trying to commit suicide by gender identification???

I think if people made those decisions on the basis of safety, probably nobody would ever come out as a trans woman. By my understanding this is something that she's been considering for a long time, since well before she was arrested. I have to assume she weighed up the options and decided that staying in the closet would be even worse than the crap she'd experience as a trans woman in military prison.

Fuckit. Poor kid's been sentenced to TEN TIMES what William Calley served for My Lai. And Calley did his time under house arrest.

 

[njlauren]

I suspect faced with 35 years in jail, she figured that if she had to spend that much time in jail that it didn't make much sense to stay closeted, that spending the time as Chelsea, as much as her jailers would allow her to do so, would be less of a hell than doing it as a guy.

The military said that they offer psychiatric treatment, so what if the shrink says that she should get HRT?

I don't consider manning a traitor. I think she may have been naive in some ways, I think she didn't understand some of the consequences of what she did, in that by giving it to wikileaks she was trusting them not to release stuff that could get people killed. Diplomatic cables showing the US ambassador called the head of the Egyptian military "Mubarek's lap dog" wouldn't get anyone killed, releasing information about covert operations could, and Assange is not exactly an expert.

It doesn't surprise me she got a stiff sentence, you knew the Obama administration would want the book thrown at her, rather than taking into consideration her motives, even if misguided, were to try and make things transparent and check government power. Given how much of a police state the Obama administration has turned into, with their defense of the NSA data mining and the way they are going after those who speak to the press, this isn't surprising at all, Obama in many ways reminds me of George Bush on steroids, and that is sad. I don't know whether he has bought into all the bullshit about how we need these measures to protect ourselves, or if he is so scared he is willing to go to any leaks, but what it really looks like is Obama simply is afraid of being embarassed if this stuff comes out.

 

[Etoile]

I seem to remember her telling a military therapist she wanted to wait until the next phase of her life before beginning a transition. Now that she is out of the limbo of trial phase, she's moving on to the next phase of incarceration, so I guess that's why she is making the announcement now.

What concerns me, though, is that the military doesn't allow transgendered people to serve. It has been known since 2010 that she is transgender. Why was she not discharged at the time? I don't pretend to understand UCMJ or any of that, but she should either get treatment or be released, IMO. (And they're not going to do the latter, because of her crimes...I don't see a pardon happening.)

 

[Stella_Omega]

The military doesn't know transgendered from a hole in the ground. What the military means is transsexuals, or open crossdressers, or anyone who performatively shows behavior or appearances that they can't wish away. Chelsea most likely acted like a regular person all this time. and never made anyone think twice about if she was a girl or a boy. And the military is genius at ignoring the subtleties.

 

[hylas_]

I don't love the implication that a transgenderd person is more likely to be confused about completely unrelated issues, such as national security. But she was facing the possibility of execution, so I think it's fair that she would bring up whatever it takes to survive.

 

[stickygirl]

....What concerns me, though, is that the military doesn't allow transgendered people to serve. It has been known since 2010 that she is transgender. Why was she not discharged at the time? ...

I don't love the implication that a transgenderd person is more likely to be confused about completely unrelated issues, such as national security. But she was facing the possibility of execution, so I think it's fair that she would bring up whatever it takes to survive.

I don't think you're implying she pulled her status out of a bag as a ploy but as Etoile says, faced with 35 years in a male jail, when exactly was she going mention it...

I read recently that she is currently kept in isolation 23 hours a day naked. I'm not sure how true that story was or who could corroborate that?

 

[hylas_]

I don't think you're implying she pulled her status out of a bag as a ploy

I didn't know that her trans status was known from way before.
I just remember the first time I read about it. I think it was something like this:

"Manning is to stand trial for his crimes, bla bla bla, he could face the death sentence, bla bla bla, he is a very confused person who had been suffering from mental illness and is confused about his gender identitiy."

I thought it was either the media tweaking things, or Manning "using" her trans status as another tool in the court (which I wouldn't resent her for, given the stakes); but it seems it was just me being misinformed

I certainly didn't mean to say Manning "made up being trans" to her own benefit.

 

[Jagged]

I consider Manning a traitor to his country and his oath. He will have the opportunity to spend plenty of time thinking about who he is for several decades. Just because Manning thinks he's right doesn't make him immune from the consequences.


This has been dealt with before...About 40 minutes into the clip you'll see what I'm talking about. You break the law I don't care what your orientation is...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_Republican_Army
http://youtu.be/OkFG2G9Q-88

 

[muycurioso]

POTUS Obama made sure she got the time

Liberals cannot bring themselves to understand that. Obama said Manning was guilty before the trial. Liberals won't dare speak against POTUS Obama.