So there’s a name you haven’t heard in a while, eh? Bradley Manning is still cooling his heels at Fort Leavenworth, serving a 35 year sentence for violating his oath and releasing the nation’s classified documents. But his organization of supporters (now renamed The Chelsea Manning Support Network) remains busy on his behalf. In one of their latest, breaking news announcements, we find that the San Francisco gay pride parade organizers are going to correct a “mishandling” of administrative details from last year and provide a “proper honor” in 2014 by naming him an Honorary Grand Marshal.
Today, the nation’s largest Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee announced on its website that WikiLeaks whistle-blower Chelsea Manning has been chosen to represent the event as a 2014 Honorary Grand Marshal.
Manning thanked the San Francisco Pride Committee from Fort Leavenworth military prison, declaring, “As a trans* woman, I appreciate the Pride movement’s significant role in bringing together diverse communities and elevating the public profile of the fight for queer rights. I have always enjoyed attending Pride celebrations given the opportunity, and I’m deeply honored to receive this title.” Manning explained that she prefers “Trans*” (with an asterisk) to denote not only transgender men and women, but also those who identify outside of a gender binary.
(The full list of marshals is available here, since you clearly need to be up to date on such things.)
But that’s not all that’s been going on. Apparently Manning has been working with an artist named Alicia Neal in an effort to illustrate how she sees herself, and wishes to look after receiving treatment for gender dysphoria. I know you’re all just dying to know, so here’s the visual.
Yes, it seems that Manning is busy working on two different fronts. One is to get some form of hormone treatment on the taxpayer dime for gender dysphoria. The other is to continue pushing for a pardon so he can head on home. (And presumably make it to San Francisco in time to lead the parade.) But in addition to all of that, there are still court activities taking place, as Fox News reports. Next on the docket is a request for a legal name change.
The Army private who was tried and convicted as Bradley Edward Manning for leaking U.S. secrets to WikiLeaks is petitioning a Kansas court for a name change, to Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.
Leavenworth County District Court has scheduled an April 23 hearing on the request, according to a Leavenworth Times legal notice sent Wednesday to The Associated Press by a spokesman at Fort Leavenworth, where Manning is serving a 35-year sentence. The petition was filed Jan. 27 and published March 1 after it was submitted by Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs of Providence, R.I.
Coombs didn’t immediately respond to questions about the petition. Manning said in an October letter to supporters that Coombs would help her with the name change.
So… that happened. And now you’re up to date on all the latest Chelsea Manning news. No need to thank me… I’m just making sure you’re all in the loop. And I knew you wouldn’t want to miss it.
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