An image of Manning sent in a April 24, 2010, email coming out to her supervisor (Photo: Chelsea Manning, via U.S. Army file).
The American Civil Liberties Union and over a dozen LGBT groups have sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to commute the sentence of former Pfc. Chelsea Manning, who is currently serving the 7th year of a 35-year sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Manning was convicted of violating the Espionage Act, stealing government property, violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and disobeying orders multiple times after she released more than 700,000 government files containing sensitive information to the cyber-anarchist government watchdog website Wikileaks. Manning’s release of information is still considered one of the largest leaks in American history. She has tried to appeal her conviction, arguing that she was acting as a “whistleblower” in bringing information on the impact of U.S.-led wars in the Middle East on civilians to the public’s attention.
The LGBT organizations wrote to Obama, asking him to commute Manning’s sentence to time served.
“Our organizations may be of differing opinions concerning Ms. Manning’s actions; however, we stand united in our support for her clemency petition,” the letter reads. “If approved, Ms. Manning will have a first chance to live a real, meaningful life as the person she was born to be.”
In addition to the ACLU, other signatories of the letter are: BiNet USA, COLAGE, the Family Equality Council, FORGE, Inc., GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Immigration Equality, KhushDC, Lambda Legal, League of United Latin American Citizens, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the National Black Justice Coalition, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the National LGBTQ Task Force, the National Organization for Women (NOW), Pride at Work, and Transgender Law Center.
The groups note that Manning, who, despite her transgender status, is serving out her sentence in an all-male prison, has frequently been placed in solitary confinement for long stretches of time, including after she attempted suicide. Manning recently went on a hunger strike until the government agreed to allow her to have gender confirmation surgery as part of her treatment for gender dysphoria. They also note that the government has repeatedly attempted to deny Manning treatment for her gender dysphoria, including requests for hormones and to grow her hair out beyond the prescribed length for male prisoners at the USDB.
“The sole relief that Ms. Manning is seeking is to be released from military prison after serving over six years of confinement — longer than any whistleblower in the history of our country. The consequences of her conviction would remain with her, including a punitive discharge, a reduction in rank, and the loss of veteran’s benefits,” the letter continues. “We urge you to consider Ms. Manning’s plea and grant her clemency petition.”
The Biden administration clarified its stance on gender-affirming care for minors after previously angering LGBTQ advocacy groups for appearing to support a ban on surgical interventions.
Earlier this month, a White House spokesperson told the independent news outlet The 19th that the administration believed that surgical procedures undertaken to align a person's physical appearance with their gender identity "should be limited to adults."
That spokesperson appeared to distinguish between opposing surgical interventions for minors while still opposing state-level bans for gender-affirming treatments, like puberty blockers and hormone therapy, arguing that the decision to pursue such treatments should be made by minors' parents in consultation with doctors.
New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill preventing transgender girls in grades 5-12 from participating on female-designated sports teams.
He declared that the measure "ensures fairness and safety in women's sports" by prohibiting transgender females from competing against cisgender females, against whom they may have a physiological and competitive advantage.
New Hampshire is the 25th state to impose a restriction on transgender athlete participation.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, along with the national organization GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), criticized the law, which requires student-athletes to show a birth certificate or "other evidence" to prove their gender identity aligns with their assigned sex at birth.
In little more than a year, RuPaul’s Drag Race has raised $2 million to help the ACLU push back against anti-LGBT efforts, including attacks against drag performance.
The news was first reported on June 10 in a Variety exclusive.
According to the ACLU, the Drag Defense Fund initiative, formed in April 2023, also partners with MTV and the World of Wonder production company to “fuel the ACLU’s expansive advocacy work in support of the LGBTQ community, which includes everything from courtroom battles, to guidance on state-level legislation, to challenging LGBTQ censorship in classrooms.”
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