Somewhere inside a men’s military prison complex in Kansas, Chelsea Manning spends her days writing letters alternately requesting pardon from President Barack Obama or, as reported most recently by The Guardian, for the hormone therapy required to successfully transition her biologically male body into that of a female. She gave information to WikiLeaks while serving as a private in the United States Army, exposing corruption and crimes of the U.S. government.
When she was arrested, she was booked as Bradley Manning. Having struggled for years with gender identity disorder, the day after the verdict was delivered, she announced from that point on she would use only female pronouns and be known as Chelsea. In writing, she said if she was going to be forced to serve a prison sentence, she wouldn’t spend another day pretending to be someone she is not.
Immediately following the announcement, backlash abounded: Analysts, reporters and ordinary people alike had no idea how to handle a man at the center of one of the biggest information and security failings in the United States trying to become something he wasn’t already — at least not biologically. This was the root of the confusion: On the whole, the U.S. is far behind making any sort of understanding and acceptance of those struggling with gender identity and making transgender decisions. The Guardian reported this week that Manning has requested to begin hormone therapy — and if her request is denied, she is willing to sue. It is well-documented by her former superiors while she served in the Army that she has struggled for years with her biological sex, making the argument that she is just doing this now to get more attention simply untrue.
From struggling as a child with her sexual orientation and through her early adult life with her dictated biology, she has finally reached a point in her life where, in order to end her internal suffering, she had to put steps in motion to ensure she would be seen as who she knows she is. Transphobia in this country has alienated the nation from her identity as a human being. We attempt to blame her decision to release classified documents as part of her falsely perceived psychosis, rather than understanding that what she did for the U.S. and what she is doing for herself are two separate spheres.
Manning’s trial and imprisonment have set a dangerous precedent regarding the first amendment in this country, and the rights of citizens to know the operations of the government. It is my belief Manning should not be imprisoned for attempting to make information public that she believed the world deserved to know regarding government operations. Whether or not you agree with WikiLeaks as a matter of national security, however, is separate from her fight to be the biological woman she deserves to be. Most of us will never struggle with the overwhelming sense that something about our physical body is very, very wrong — and as such, we should not be allowed to pass judgment regarding Manning’s request.
This year, Manning was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for sacrificing herself for the sake of government transparency. She didn’t win, but I firmly believe her nomination should not only force us to reconsider her imprisonment and the way our government operates but also recognize that her decisions and actions are completely separate from her gender identity. The Nobel Committee didn’t care if she identified as male or female, and quite frankly, neither should we.
