Chelsea Manning joins first pride march since prison release – USA TODAY

On Sunday, June 25th, New York City held its annual LGBT pride march. USA TODAY

This undated file photo provided by Chelsea Manning shows a portrait of her that she posted on her Instagram account on Thursday, May 18, 2017. Manning said she had "a responsibility to the public" to leak a trove of classified documents in her first interview following her release from a federal prison broadcast Friday, June 9 on ABC's "Good Morning America."(Photo: Tim Travers Hawkins, AP)

Chelsea Manning,the transgender U.S. Army soldier who spent seven years in prison for leaking classified documents, took part on Sunday in her first Pride March since her early release last May.

Manning, 29, who came out as transgender in 2013, tweeted that she was honored to represent the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) at the NYC Pride March. Her tweet included a photo of herself alongsideGavin Grimm, the transgender teenager who sued his school for denying him access to the boys' bathroom. Grimm's case was ultimately remanded by the U.S. Supreme Court.

More: Gay pride events take many forms, take on many fights

Manning later said Sunday's eventwas not her first Pride March but the first she attended since her release, NBC News reported.

She was convicted of leaking more than 700,000 classified documents, including battlefield reports on Iraq and Afghanistan and State Department cables, while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. She said the leaks were intended to expose wrongdoing.

More: In 1st interview since release, Chelsea Manning thanks Obama for 2nd chance

Manning's 35-year sentence in military prison, the longest punishment ever imposed by the U.S. government for a leaking conviction, was commuted in the final days of the Obama administration, a move that infuriated some in the military as well as President Trump.

At the time of her arrest, she was known as Pvt. Bradley Manning, but came out as transgender during her incarceration. She remains an active-duty, unpaid soldier, eligible for health care and other benefits while her court-martial conviction remains under appeal.

Contributing: Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY. Follow Greg Toppo on Twitter: @gtoppo

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Chelsea Manning joins first pride march since prison release - USA TODAY