NEWS: Wikileaks Soldier Bradley Manning Wants To Live Rest Of Life As Woman

<p>In a statement read on the Today show Bradley Manning wrote that she is planning to spend the rest of her life as a woman.</p> <p>By Newsdesk | 22nd August 2013 </p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4597469276.jpg" width="460" height="300" alt="Grant Hall, the symbol of Fort Leavenworth | Wikipedia" title="Grant Hall, the symbol of Fort Leavenworth | Wikipedia"/></p> <p></p><p>• The US Solider formerly known as Bradley Manning now wants to live as Chelsea E Manning.</p><p></p><p>• Chelsea E Manning was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for leaking and stealing sensitive documents to Wikileaks.</p><p></p><p>• Ms. Manning is expected to serve her sentence at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.</p><p></p><p></p><p>USAToday is reporting that the solider who leaked over hundreds of thousands of classified documents, has suggested that she would like to live the ‘rest of her life as a woman.’</p><p></p><p>‘I am Chelsea Manning. I am female,’ Ms. Manning wrote in the statement which was read by her attorney David Coombs on NBC's Today show on Thursday. </p><p></p><p>“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.</p><p></p><p>‘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),’ she continued in the statement. </p><p></p><p>‘I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.’</p><p></p><p>The statement was signed Chelsea E. Manning</p><p></p><p></p><p>Manning, 25, will most probably serve her sentence of not more than 35 years at the Fort Leavenworth facility, which is the only military prison for service members with a sentence longer than 10 years.</p><p></p><p>The prison does not provide sex reassignment surgery or hormone but does provide psychiatric care a Fort Leavenworth spokeswoman told Courthouse News.</p><p></p><p>In the US, transgender prisoners who have not had sexual reassignment surgery are most likely to be assigned to a facility that incarcerates their birth gender peers. </p><p></p><p>Manning’s attorney said at a press conference after the sentencing that he did not fear for the safety of his client and that Manning would not appeal to be imprisoned in an all female prison. </p><p></p><p>Depsite Ms. Manning's decision to become a woman, USAToday refused to use female pronouns to describe the Army private.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p>