Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense. In it, the Wikileaks leaker claims that she has been denied access to medically necessary treatment in connection with a gender disorder.

She brings this action to compel defendants [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the federal government] to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution, says the suit, according to CNN. If the requests are denied, said Mannings lawyers, she will suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety and is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality.

In August of 2013, Pvt. Chelsea (then Bradley) Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for supplying WikiLeaks with 700,000 classified documents in 2010. Manning was found guilty on charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice but was spared the charge of aiding the enemy, the most serious of all the charges. If convicted of that crime, Manning could have face up the 90 years behind bars.

Shortly after her sentencing, Manning revealed that she was transgender, suffering from gender dysphoria a condition in which a person does not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth. Soon, Manning began demanding treatment for the condition, including hormone therapy.

In July of this year, Mannings request to be transferred to a civilian prison to begin treatment was approved but according to the new lawsuit things have stalled. Or better yet, people are stalling.

I have not 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, says the lawsuit.

Manning also wishes to be able to grow out her hair and modify her dress to better express her gender identity.

The White House will reportedly address the lawsuit in the coming weeks.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

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Chelsea Manning Sues US Gov’t Over Stalled Gender Treatments

Private Chelsea Manning,the WikiLeaks source formerly known as Bradley Manning who is serving 35 years in military prison for espionage, has brought suit against U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and military jailers, claiming she has been denied access to medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria, according to CNN. Gender dysphoria is the condition of feeling that ones emotional and psychological identity as male or female, along with the gender roles associated with that sex, is opposite from the biological sex one is assigned at birth.

Defense officials announced in July that Hagel had approved Mannings treatment for gender dysphoria while in prison, but the Bureau of Prisons had rejected the Armys request to transfer Manning from the all-male military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to a civilian facility. The Defense Department had argued, according to anAssociated Pressreport, that it did not have the medical expertise needed to treat Manning. Manning was to begin the early stages of gender reassignment, which meant that she would receive psychiatric and psychological counseling, be able to wear women's undergarments and shoes, and possibly begin hormone treatments. Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, said in July, "I am hopeful that when the Army says it will start a 'rudimentary level' of treatment that this means hormone replacement therapy."

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on Mannings behalf on Tuesday, and contends that she has not received any of the promised treatments. The suit demands that Manning receive hormone therapy, permission to groom herself in conventionally feminine ways, and access to qualified medical treatment. So far, said Chase Strangio, an ACLU attorney and co-counsel in Mannings case, in a Los Angeles Times report, the military has provided Manning only with female undergarments.

"The government continues to deny Ms. Manning's access to necessary medical treatment for gender dysphoria, without which she will continue to suffer severe psychological harms," Strangiosaid in a statement. "Such clear disregard of well-established medical protocols constitutes cruel and unusual punishment."

Read this article:
Chelsea Manning Sues Government: WikiLeaks Source Has Not Received Medical Treatment For Gender Dysphoria

(CNN) -

Chelsea Manning, convicted of espionage and imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming she "has been denied access to medically necessary treatment" for her gender disorder.

The inmate once known as Bradley Manning announced in August 2013, the day after her court sentencing, that she is female. Manning is suing to follow grooming standards such as growing her hair longer and using cosmetics, and to receive hormone treatment "in order to express her female gender," said the suit filed Tuesday in district court in Washington.

"She brings this action to compel defendants [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the federal government] to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution," said the suit. If the requests are denied, said Manning's lawyers, she "will suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety and is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality."

A Kansas judge in April granted the former Army intelligence analyst's request to formally be known as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.

"I've been working for months for this change, and waiting for years," she said in a statement at the time. There was no immediate reaction from the government on Manning's new lawsuit. The Obama administration is expected to give a written response to the lawsuit in coming weeks.

Manning is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, an Army prison in eastern Kansas.

She was convicted last year of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of documents and videos to WikiLeaks in what has been described as the largest leak of classified material in U.S. history. Manning was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges against her, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act.

At the time of her announcement that she planned to live as a woman, Manning asked for support and said she wanted to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible.

"I requested that the military provide me with a treatment plan consistent with the recognized professional standards of care for trans [gender] health. They quickly evaluated me and informed me that they came up with a proposed treatment plan.

Read the original here:
Chelsea Manning sues to get transgender treatment

By Bill Mears, CNN

updated 1:55 PM EDT, Wed September 24, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Chelsea Manning, convicted of espionage and imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming she "has been denied access to medically necessary treatment" for her gender disorder.

The inmate once known as Bradley Manning announced in August 2013, the day after her court sentencing, that she is female. Manning is suing to follow grooming standards such as growing her hair longer and using cosmetics, and to receive hormone treatment "in order to express her female gender," said the suit filed Tuesday in district court in Washington.

"She brings this action to compel defendants [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the federal government] to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution," said the suit. If the requests are denied, said Manning's lawyers, she "will suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety and is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality."

A Kansas judge in April granted the former Army intelligence analyst's request to formally be known as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.

"I've been working for months for this change, and waiting for years," she said in a statement at the time. There was no immediate reaction from the government on Manning's new lawsuit. The Obama administration is expected to give a written response to the lawsuit in coming weeks.

Manning is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, an Army prison in eastern Kansas.

She was convicted last year of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of documents and videos to WikiLeaks in what has been described as the largest leak of classified material in U.S. history. Manning was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges against her, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act.

Read the original:
Manning sues for medical treatment

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Chelsea Manning, convicted of espionage and imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming she "has been denied access to medically necessary treatment" for her gender disorder.

The inmate once known as Bradley Manning announced in August 2013, the day after her court sentencing, that she is female. Manning is suing to follow grooming standards such as growing her hair longer and using cosmetics, and to receive hormone treatment "in order to express her female gender," said the suit filed Tuesday in district court in Washington.

"She brings this action to compel defendants [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the federal government] to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution," said the suit. If the requests are denied, said Manning's lawyers, she "will suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety and is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality."

A Kansas judge in April granted the former Army intelligence analyst's request to formally be known as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.

"I've been working for months for this change, and waiting for years," she said in a statement at the time. There was no immediate reaction from the government on Manning's new lawsuit. The Obama administration is expected to give a written response to the lawsuit in coming weeks.

Manning is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, an Army prison in eastern Kansas.

She was convicted last year of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of documents and videos to WikiLeaks in what has been described as the largest leak of classified material in U.S. history. Manning was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges against her, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act.

At the time of her announcement that she planned to live as a woman, Manning asked for support and said she wanted to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible.

"I requested that the military provide me with a treatment plan consistent with the recognized professional standards of care for trans [gender] health. They quickly evaluated me and informed me that they came up with a proposed treatment plan.

Original post:
Manning sues for gender treatment