Heroic whistle-blower addresses gender publicly: ready to move on to next phase of her life
The Army private and WikiLeaks whistle-blower formerly known as Bradley Manning announced, in a statement via lawyer David Coombs, the decision to transition to life as a woman and a request to be referred to as Chelsea and with female pronouns. Her statement is below:
The Next Stage of My Life
I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the last three years. Throughout this long ordeal, your letters of support and encouragement have helped keep me strong. I am forever indebted to those who wrote to me, made a donation to my defense fund, or came to watch a portion of the trial. I would especially like to thank Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network for their tireless efforts in raising awareness for my case and providing for my legal representation.
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. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. 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). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.
Thank you,
Chelsea E. Manning
Chelsea’s mailing address is now:
Bradley E. Manning
89289
1300 N Warehouse Rd
Ft Leavenworth KS 66027
Dear Chelsea,
You have my full support in your new life. I am sorry that the judge didn’t opt to do what I suggested – to grant “time served”! and end the saga created by Bush and company! Bush/Obama walk free while a hero is in prisoned. There is no real justice there! You did what every American I know says was the work of a hero with a conscience! We are proud of what you did – hold your head high and walk proudly! We love you.
High regards,
Charles H. Veilleux, Skowhegan, Maine
Dear Chelsea,
It can be difficult to be trans and incarcerated. Sometimes authorities will refuse to place someone with the correct gender and other times other inmates can demonstrate a lack of understanding or even violence. Fortunately, you have many supporters. Please let us know what we can do to be of support.
Blessings,
Greg
Welcome, sister Chelsea. You are an honor to your gender, and may we be an honor to you. You’re in our hearts and actions forever.
Thank you Chelsea Manning for your courage.The fight to free you goes on.Good Luck with the next stage in your life.
No video? No audio? How do I know this letter isn’t part of someone else’s agenda? I need proof.
The letter was read on yesterday’s NBC Today show by Pvt. Manning’s attorney. You should be able to find both video and audio for that.
He and her are both in the word “hero”, remember that. You have my thanks, respect and support. Forever a hero <3
My thoughts and prayers are with you during this time and I think you are a total hero Chelsea!!!! I have signed the white house petition I hope many millions more people do as well!!
As Starr above stated, you indeed are an honor to our gender. I am proud to have you as a fellow woman who has the courage to resist tyranny. You are an international hero on so many levels. My children will grow up hearing your name Chelsea and know that you stood in the face of multiple types of oppression and corruption, and unhinged you continued to follow your moral compass and defend the world. I am so very very please by your announcement and look forward to hearing from you in the future. May you be pardoned by Obama asap.
Proud!!!
Please Free Chelsea Manning…we will all be better for her freedom as we are for her sacrifice.
Yes, welcome Chelsea! Your brave actions and true service to our country stand in stark contrast to how you have been treated. Please know how many support you!
Chelsea, your courage shames us all. Thank you for your life and your values. I am proud to call you “sister.”
Chelsea you are incredibly brave and deserving of everyone’s gratitude and admiration even if the most don’t know yet… The best decisions are the ones that give us inner peace… These even behind bars set us free.
I too welcome you as my sister, as far as it matters
I wish you the best of things, freedom as soon as possible, heavy bags of cash from the inevitable book deal, and an easy and painless transition!!
Will you all spearhead a fundraising drive to help defray medical costs for our Hero/ine?
Regarding letter-writing, I just wanted to make sure: does this mean we need to write “Bradley Manning” on the envelope, but it’s okay to refer to her “Chelsea” in the letter? Thanks!
Exactly. Thanks for your support!
-Emma Cape, Campaign Organizer
We are with you Chelsea to the best of our abilities and possibiolities! Keep firm, strong and beautiful!
Words fail me. Chelsea you are a brave and beautiful (inside and out) woman and I am in awe of you. I send you love, strength and solidarity xxx
We love you, Chelsea Manning!!!! You are our Shero! Yay for you!!! Thank you for risking your life to bring awareness. Your honesty will bring you great rewards.
Dear Chelsea, You demonstrate your courage even now. Much is still at stake for you, you are risking loosing some support with this revelatoin, just like when you helped us learn of US War Crimes, yet you make the harder choice, the courageous choice. May you have the experiences you are looking for towards being happy. I have known people who have kept things from themselves causing torment to themselves and others. I am glad for you and those dear to you because your living honestly and therefore healthily will make you a beneficial person to be around.
Much love, peace, and respect to you Chelsea!
PLOT TWIST!
As much as this may be a surprise to some people; many people still don’t understand gender reassignment, it has to be said:
You are one of the bravest people I have ever known to exist and a true patriot.
I for one, salute you.
=D
Chelsea, there have been a lot of people out here for years who have read about your journey and wanted to know you and wanted to support you, wanted to tell our friends to stop calling you ‘Bradley’ and ‘he’ and wanted to stand up for you but we weren’t sure how because all we had to go on were years-old chat logs and other bits and pieces. Some of us were afraid that the years of torture and abuse from the military had beaten you down and destroyed you and that you would never get to have this day. When I read your words ‘women and men created equal’ in your statement yesterday I hoped this was what was coming. Chelsea, this is such a triumph. You have shown that the most powerful government on earth cannot tell you who you are and cannot take this away from you. You will inspire a generation of trans women. I am so proud to call you a sister.
God bless you, Chelsea, for your strong character and sacrifice to the whole world. You are a a real hero in this world…one that our children and grandchildren will look up to.
Free Chelsea Manning.
Chelsea, glad to meet you.
Is the name of this website going to change?
It will, but it will take a few days. Thanks for your support!
Dear Chelsea,
You are even more of a hero today than you were yesterday. Much, much respect. I quote another individual much more eloquent than I in describing you:
“At the age of 22, Bradley [Chelsea] Manning has attained a moral stature most people never reach in an entire lifetime. He came to understand the unforgivable brutality and horror of what the U.S. government is doing, and he sought to stop it in any way he could. He wanted to do the right thing, he “wanted people held accountable,” and he wanted to make sure”this didn’t happen again.”
Forgive the use of male pronouns, but you get the idea. To think of all you’ve been through, even while struggling to claim your real gender identity, is simply inspiring.
In a world with so few heroes, so many millions who will be born and die without legacy, you will be remembered as one who stood for humanity.
Know that you will not be forgotten by those of us who honor you and your actions.
God bless you!
Rick
If we write to her should we avoid any reference to her coming out in correspondence? I don’t want to make a bad situation worse but certainly her captors know what’s going on by now.
The outside of the envelope should be addressed to “Bradley Manning,” but this is not necessary for the contents of the letters themselves.
My heart is just filled with love for you, Chelsea. I am so happy for you.
I wish you well in your next stage of life which I sincerely wish is not as troubled as the last.
Chelsea, your courage, strength, and wisdom inspire and awe us every day.
Several of our friends have gone through gender reassignment. It was rough for them while transitioning, but their lives are much happier now. We are so happy for you, and we wish you the best. You have all our support.
Chelsea is a very nice name, but I will always remember your story as the story of Bradley Manning.
Goodluck!
We support you no matter what gender, race, sexuality, religion, etc you are! I’m glad and proud that you are being true to yourself. I will be writing to you. Thank you for all that you have done!
i will be snail mailing you very soon, sister! you are a role model, as a revealer and lover of truth, personal, societal and universal.
my 10 year old transgender daughter has one more awesome person to look up to!
Thank you for your brave and honest heart, dear friend.
We Thanks BRADLEY and WE thanks CHELSEA now for her courage is not a question of gender it is HUMANITY..
I’m willing to promote a fund to pay for your transition.
Thank you for being the woman you are. May I be such a woman.
Nobel Prize goes to you. We stand in awe of your powerful presence. Guts, fortitude and resolve.
When Chelsea gets the ball rolling just try to stop it…you will see the ripple effect of your actions infinitely more profound than those who are corrupt and bereft of morality and insight.
Your monumental decision to pull aside the green curtain, you allowed us all take the RED PILL for a moment. Morpheus would be proud.
Soldier on dearest soldier.
- Shink
Just so people know, we plan to change our website and all of our materials over the next week to reflect Pvt. Manning’s request. We are communicating with Pvt. Manning and her attorney about their ideas for the website as well, to ensure we make the best choices possible. Thank you for your support.
-Emma Cape, Campaign Organizer
I support your new charter! I hope we can communication via email.