WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is trying to transfer convicted national security leaker Pvt. Chelsea Manning to a civilian prison so she can get treatment for her gender disorder, a Defense official said Wednesday.
Manning, formerly named Bradley, was convicted of sending classified documents to anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.
The Associated Press first reported Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s decision to move Manning early Wednesday, and Rear Adm. John Kirby, Hagel’s spokesman, confirmed it to The New York Times later Wednesday morning.
The Army has asked the Pentagon to approve moving Manning to a federal prison.
The soldier has asked for hormone therapy and to be able to live as a woman. Transgenders are not allowed to serve in the U.S. military and the Defense Department does not provide such treatment. The Department of Veterans Affairs, however, does provide the treatment for veterans.
On a web site dedicated to Manning’s defense, she wrote recently that she was waiting to receive health care for gender issues.
STORY: Transgender troops hail Hagel’s announcement
“In August, I requested that the military provide me with a treatment plan consistent with the recognized professional standards of care for trans health,” Manning wrote. “They quickly evaluated me and informed me that they came up with a proposed treatment plan. However, I have not seen yet seen their treatment plan, and in over eight months, I have not received any response as to whether the plan will be approved or disapproved, or whether it follows the guidelines of qualified health professionals.”… see more
source: usatoday
Tags: Gender treatment, Manning, Pentagon, Politics
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