Convicted in WikiLeaks case, Chelsea Manning sues feds to get medical treatment for gender disorder
A U.S. Army private convicted last year as Bradley Manning in a high-profile military secrets case for providing hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, is back in the headlines again.
After a court-approved name change to Chelsea Manning earlier this year, she is now suing the federal government, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, to get medical treatment for a gender disorder, according to the Nation Now page of the Los Angeles Times (sub. req.) and the Washington Post (reg. req.).
Filed in federal district court in the nation’s capital Tuesday, the suit (PDF) seeks hormone therapy and a doctor with specialized training for Manning, as well as permission to use female grooming standards, alleging that the denial of medical care constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
“Every day that goes by without appropriate treatment, plaintiff experiences escalating anxiety, distress, and depression. She feels as though her body is being poisoned by testosterone,” the suit says. “Plaintiff fears that without appropriate treatment, her anguish will only escalate and she will not be able to survive the 35 years of her sentence, let alone the next few years.”
An ACLU press release provides additional details.
Earlier, the Army had sought Manning’s transfer to a civilian prison where such treatment is available as she serves her 35-year sentence. However, the suit says Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel rejected that plan.
