Bradley Manning says he wants to live as a woman named Chelsea

Five comments so far and there are two jokes already about raping him.

Totally disgusting.

Assange should pay for it.

He likes blondes anyway, right?

And some people feel he has a right to have his desire fulfilled. You and yours pay for it, my taxes are high enough. I prefer to spend them on more important social issues such as that are more important. Not a criminals desire.

What has him/her body gender got to do with him/her selling his country top secret information? Is he/she trying to divert the main attention why he was wanted in the first place?

Strange people with strange agendas!

I think I just heard the inmates at Leavenworth let out a collective shriek of giddy excitement.

I find both view disgusting. That Manning thinks taxpayers have to pay for his GID, and that there are plenty of homeless people with mental disorders that aren't going to get treatment for their own problems.

SuperLib

Go for it. It's your body.

No, it's not. It's the Army's body until the day that he has completed serving his sentence and is dishonorably discharged. He should not be permitted to undergo any elective medical procedures that are prohibited for everyone else in the armed forces. If I decided today that I wanted to undergo gender reassignment procedures I would not be permitted. Private Manning can wait until he is a civilian to become a woman and pay for it himself.

He leaked information anonymously. He was turned in to the FBI by someone he was having an Internet chat with. People seem to overlook this crucial bit of info.

If he was a true hero, he wouldn't have hid behind anonymous chats and a plethora of aliases. Point is, he didn't want to get caught.

Coward.

"a day after being sentenced to 35 years in prison for the biggest leak of classified material in U.S. history."

This is going to cost taxpayers a bundle. Can't they just force him to take a private sector job and garnish half of his wages for the next 35 years?

Private Manning has not asked for surgery.

If the army and the chain of command had listened to Manning's pleas for help early on, this breakdown / leak fiasco would've been avoided.

Poor messed up kid.

And here I was all comfy-cozy arguing about the legal and ethical ramifications of Manning's decision to leak classified US documents and then we go and throw trans-gender hormone therapy into the mix. This is going to be fun.

As he did break the law he will be going to jail which is totally within the realm of logic. They're going to count the time he's already served plus a little extra for the abuses he suffered while imprisoned. It's unfortunate that such abuse occurred but given the charges leveled against him it's hardly surprising. With all said and done he may be paroled in 7 years.

During his time in prison I don't think he should be given hormone treatment. While I find the concept of transgender surgery/hormone therapy unnerving I submit that a person may be biologically predisposed to feeling out of place in their gender of birth. While in prison he can get counseling and therapy to make sure he's able to make the proper decision once he gets out. In the mean-time...hormone replacement and gender reassignment surgery can be expensive and dangerous. As such the procedure should be elective and entirely up to the individual to finance with their own time and money.

May Bradley serve his time and eventually go on to live his life as Chelsea should that be his decision once he gets out of prison. Until then he's a man and will go to a male prison where he should probably be kept out of the general population.

Revealing thousands of examples of indeterminate slaughter of civilians to the world, while risking torture and life imprisonment (with no possible benefit to himself - you inaccurately used the word "selling"), is honorable, courageous, and decent.

He only released one example of the killing of civilians - who happened to be in close proximity to armed insurgents if you actually watched the video.

I'm not sure where you get this idea that he leaked thousands of examples from...

He was a woman scorned. Literally. Read his background and the events that lead up to him leaking the information. Information, which in the grand scheme of things, wasn't really all that groundbreaking.

He didn't "sacrifice" himself, as you suggest. I think we already covered that. He was turned in by someone else. That is the opposite of sacrificing oneself.

Cheers, bro. Enjoy the brew.

@malfupete

I wouldn't take this article at face value. Manning was being ostracized by his peers for being openly gay and flaunting his gender identity issues. He acted out violently, was pending discharged, got pissed because he felt he wasn't being treated fairly, then lashed out. End of story.

A man of many contracts......

oh sorry, I mean a shemale of many contrasts!

oh sorry, I mean a ladyboy of many contrasts!

a person who sold his (her) own country, family, cultures, body and gender!

a person with unknown identity!

"Instead, it's become a sideshow about nonsensical stuff. Textbook ad hominem."

That's rubbish, Jean. The gender "sideshow" as you put it was brought to the table by none other than Manning's own defence, his/her transformation announced purposely on the day she was sentenced. Not just for for maximum effect and ink, but to excite the radical left who's sole reason to exist is to be victims themselves. I said it yesterday and I'll repeat it today that when claiming "I did it to change the world" simultaneously with "I did it because I'm not sure what sex I am" are two such astronomically opposed, improbable excuses that it's open to do business in the land of scoff.

Hammereddownnail ,

"What should be a story about the disclosure of detailed information about mass 'collateral' murder of Afghan and Iraqi civilians on an industrial scale is now a tale about a white-haired Australian "rapist" and a transgender soldier "traitor"."

True, Assange isn't hiding from rape claims, it's claims of sexual molestation he's running from by pretending he's a wanted man to keep his sad little reality show alive. And besides, it's fair to say your own hyperbole is far more high-pitched, "murder of Afghan and Iraqi civilians on an industrial scale" is just ridiculous, the kind of insanities I fully expect from radicals.

It's a fact that two your three hero's have serious sexual issues in the spotlight, there's no mileage in complaining about this reality to us detractors. Snowdon, at least as far as I can see, is just in it for fortune and glory....

" I am a female" No you are not, but the guys in prison will be glad to treat you like one. And gender identity disorder is a BS excuse for your crimes.

Why does a federal prison, i.e., my tax dollars, have to provide Manning with hormone therapy? If his/her lawyer is soooo concerned about this issue, perhaps he should cough up the cash to pay for all the treatments.

RR

Manning’s defense attorney David Coombs told NBC he is hoping officials at the military prison will accommodate Manning’s request for hormone therapy. If not, “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they are forced to do so,” Coombs said.

He shouldn't be allowed to have hormone therapy in jail. He is in no position to make such demands. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay either. If he saves all his money up, maybe he'll be able to pay for it when he gets out.

Someone like him shouldn't have been allowed in the military in the first place, and I question why he decided to join. Anyone with Gender Identity Disorder should have failed the psych exams.

His wikipedia page is pandering to his stupidity too. Why is anyone paying attention to this criminal attention-whore?

So the reason he leaked all those documents is because he felt like a woman? this was a key point in their defence case?

next time I screw something up at work - I'm going to try the "but I was feeling a little feminine today" line... we'll see how far I get

Firstly, the video about which we are talking, which is one of thousands, shows the murder of Reuters journalists and their translators/local guides. They weren't in close proximity to armed insurgents, but one of them was holding a camera.

That isn't true. The video clearly shows the journalists standing next to armed insurgents. Have you even watched it?

And PS Manning only leaked one video.

If he can pay for it 100% from his own pocket, then fine, AFTER his release from custody, though the money would be better spent on good psycho therapy first.

Prison spokesman George Marcec there had never been a case similar to Manning’s

Understatement of the day.

@hammereddownnail is that why he betrayed his country by selling government secrets? You've got a pretty interesting understanding of honor, courage, and decency.

Ms. Manning, all you need is a surgeon to saw off your unwanted 'dick' and there u go, u can live and die like a bitch! Simple as that.

A person who sells his/her own country is worst than anything. Russia wanted to take u in and protect u in the hope of your intelligence information but now they realised u are a gay, they ask u to get lost and get straight!

enjoy your new gender an lifestyle!

Probably, he wants his nails and hair done next.

Chelsea is in truth a political prisoner.

Stop it. The guy is in a male prison, he has male sex organs, he joined the military (I'm not saying that only men can join, but it seems a strange job to take if you have gender issues), HE'S A MAN. He can say he's changing his name to Chelsea all he wants, he'll still be Bradley Manning the Traitor Attention-Whore to everyone else.

She in fact uncovered the many American war crimes.

You make it sound like no other country does exactly the same thing. Japan is one of the worst.

They are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in civilians in recent history.

Are you absolutely sure about those numbers?

Manning’s struggle with gender identity disorder — the sense of being a woman trapped in a man’s body — was key to the soldier’s defense. Attorneys had presented evidence of Manning’s struggle with gender identity, including a photo of the soldier in a blond wig and lipstick sent to a therapist.

How can you say you did something like that because you are struggling with your gender identity??

Attention-whoring is accepted by the liberal media though, and they'll be the first to jump on the "Chelsea" bandwagon.

Everyone else should, and probably will, ignore him.

I'm sure if he's lucky/unlucky, the other prisoners will treat him as a woman though.

Well mr. Manning, when you are discharged and save enough money for the whole process go ahead and make the change. Until then you are and will be Bradley Manning. US taxpayers will not work to pay for your desires.

Psycho.

What a strange predicament. If he does get the hormone treatment, will he be legally female? And if so, won't they have to move him/her to a women's prison?

Let me clarify, no Hormone therapy, nothing like that, just take it to surgery and NEUTER it.

Criminals have no identity. They are simply numbers.

I think his choice of new name is suspect. Chelsea Manning just doesn't have that ring of authenticity. I would have preferred something like Brandine, Hayley-Anne or Linda Sue. I wonder what his (her?) middle initial "E" stands for? His (her? - not sure which is socially acceptable) photo in the blonde wig is scary.

They sould LET him, lol.

To the disappointment of Man United fans everywhere.

If you were born with bait and tackle, then you are a man. Feelings can change, but the truth remains.

Good luck to him/her, but to be honest, more smoke and mirrors for the media to use to deflect away from the content of the leaks.

What should be a story about the disclosure of detailed information about mass 'collateral' murder of Afghan and Iraqi civilians on an industrial scale is now a tale about a white-haired Australian "rapist" and a transgender soldier "traitor".

Sigh!

Probie, you questioned, "why he decided to join".

The soldier said he went to great lengths to consciously hide the problem. As in joining a bunch of dudes dressed identically. (?)

I dunno, really. I'm A Monkey. But, how did he get that job?

He only released one example of the killing of civilians - who happened to be in close proximity to armed insurgents if you actually watched the video. I'm not sure where you get this idea that he leaked thousands of examples from...

There's a limit to the BS you can spout without being called on it. Firstly, the video about which we are talking, which is one of thousands, shows the murder of Reuters journalists and their translators/local guides. They weren't in close proximity to armed insurgents, but one of them was holding a camera. Seven Reuters journalists were killed in separate incidents in Baghdad, all of them by American fire. In addition, the Al Jazeera offices in both Kabul and Baghdad were bombed by Americans, and there is even a report of a conversation between Bush and Blair about destroying the Al Jazeera headquarters in Qatar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jazeera_bombing_memo.

(This is where there should be a movement in your brain, just suggesting that it might be the US that can be, more or less often, a source of state-sponsored terrorism)

In terms of the bull about the leaks being about 1 single hit, welllllllllllll, you gotta be joking: "The leaks involved 90,000 reports from Afghanistan and 490,000 reports from Iraq, including detailed kill counts" They added up the kill counts... in the hundreds of thousands for Afghanistan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A26WOvkMzo#t=32m30s

Finally, please don't make such sweeping statements about things you obviously know almost nothing about, and have not even looked into at the most basic level.

Hammereddownnail hit the nail on the head:

" What should be a story about the disclosure of detailed information about mass 'collateral' murder of Afghan and Iraqi civilians on an industrial scale is now a tale about a white-haired Australian "rapist" and a transgender soldier "traitor"."

Instead, it's become a sideshow about nonsensical stuff. Textbook ad hominem.

Is the video in this link your idea of honor, courage, and decency? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0I6S8mva-s#t=06m45s

Revealing thousands of examples of indeterminate slaughter of civilians to the world, while risking torture and life imprisonment (with no possible benefit to himself - you inaccurately used the word "selling"), is honorable, courageous, and decent.

He wanted this important information to be public, but hoped not to spend the rest of his life in jail if he couldn't help it. Doesn't make him any less of a hero.

I mean, come on, there was a law introduced by George W preventing coffins of American soldiers being shown on American TV. If you want a clear example of the powers that be in the US implementing a disinformation campaign against the American public, then there is no clearer, irrefutable example.

Of course, there are occasions when secret military information shouldn't be made public, but there are limits. If you believe in Democracy at all, then you should believe in some democratic knowledge of and control over your country's foreign policy. That is what Manning has sacrificed himself for. If you don't believe in some democratic control over your country's foreign policy, then, in this case, you are a fascist.

Anyway, it's Friday evening, and there's (more) drinking to be done. Have a good weekend everyone!

These posts show that America's military are in truth hateful homophobes. They cover their war crimes by making them secret. Something they have done during their entire history. So what is it to you that she is transgender? The hormones are cheap enough and people can pay for his surgery. The US is still biased against transgenders. Chelsea is in truth a political prisoner. She in fact uncovered the many American war crimes. They are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in civilians in recent history.

" US taxpayers will not work to pay for your desires."

Absolutely. We would rather pay billions for a death machine that kills kids and other innocents in foreign countries and refuses to tell us about it. Better we buy another Predatory drone so that Obama can approve more strikes on a house because somebody saw a sheep herder with a gun (never mind the wolves) so that we can kill his whole family including babies and then do secondary strike and take out the firemen and ambulance crews who dare to try and help them.

But Manning want a sex change? Not one penny. Not one RED CENT!

Why is anyone paying attention to this criminal attention-whore?

The main reason unfortunately seems to be because it deflects attention away from the mass 'collateral' murder of Afghan and Iraqi civilians that he exposed.

Go for it. It's your body.