One day after being sentenced to 35 years in prison for giving over 700,000 classified files to WikiLeaks Bradley Manning wrote a statement that was read on "Today" saying that he wants to live the rest of his life as a female, according to NBC News.
"As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me," Manning wrote in a statement. "I am Chelsea Manning. I am 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."
David Coombs, Manning's lawyer, brought up the stress Manning felt from his gender identity issues during the sentencing phase of the trial as a possible explanation as to why Manning leaked the information. Manning will most likely have to wait until his is out of prison to begin hormone therapy; Fort Leavenworth is not equipped to handle such treatment according to the Washington Post.
Coombs told "Today" that while he holds out hope that Fort Leavenworth will change their policy to allow Manning to undergo hormone therapy he will take legal action to force them to "do the right thing," according to NBC News.
"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)," Manning wrote. "I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back."
The 35 year sentence that Manning was given is the longest ever given in the United States for leaking information. Steven Aftergood, a government secrecy specialist, told the New York Times that the rationale behind the lengthy sentence has to do with the unfathomable volume of information that Manning leaked.
"It reflects the gravity of the case and the government's perception of the damage that was done," Aftergood said. "Among other things, it is also the most voluminous leak ever, and also the broadest in scope including diplomatic, military and other records. So it was a qualitatively new kind of leak, and the government responded aggressively."
In a press conference last week Coombs announced that Manning will send a letter to President Barack Obama to attempt to either receive a pardon or have his sentence commuted to time served, according to the Guardian.
"When I chose to disclose classified information, I did so out of a love to country and a sense of duty to others," Manning will write to Obama. "If you deny my request for a pardon, I will serve my time knowing that sometimes you have to pay a heavy price to live in a free society."
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