Former Army solider-turned government spy Chelsea Manning was cheered by throngs of supporters at the 48th annual Pride Parade in Manhattan Sunday the second controversial anti-government figure to be lauded during a city parade this month. <\/p>\n
I guess these recent parades only honor convicted terrorists and convicted traitors, one law enforcement source said. <\/p>\n
Just weeks ago, former terror leader Oscar Lpez Rivera sparked outrage when he was offered the National Freedom Hero honor by the organizers of the citys Puerto Rican Day Parade. Lopez Rivera, a Puerto Rican nationalist, eventually backed out and marched as a participant instead. <\/p>\n
Manning who donned a plaid dress and pixie-like hair-do was aboard an ACLU float beaming to an adoring crowd, despite being convicted for leaking government secrets. <\/p>\n
Honored to represent the @aclu at this years @NYCPrideMarch, tweeted Manning, who was released from Leavenworth last month. <\/p>\n
Lost my voice from screaming so much thank you, she added with rainbow and heart emojis. <\/p>\n
Manning sentenced to 25 years in prison after admitting to leaking more than 700,000 classified documents in 2013 was released after being pardoned by President Obama. Her float was pulled by a red sports car with rainbow banners across their chests. <\/p>\n
Happy first Pride March, Chelsea Manning! the ACLU tweeted. <\/p>\n
Manning served seven years for violating the federal Espionage Act when she dumped hundreds of thousands of documents on Wikileaks. She was born Bradley Manning and came out as transgender while in prison. <\/p>\n
She has just as much right to be here as the rest of us, parade-goer Antonia Jimenez, 32, said of Manning. Today is about community and pride and being together. <\/p>\n
Some attendees of the parade that strung from 34th Street to the West Village wore Make America Gay Again hats and cheered, while others wearing Black Lives Matter shirts walked silently and held signs with a fist and a rainbow background. <\/p>\n
Additional reporting by Daniel Prendergast <\/p>\n
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