Army Agrees to Provide Chelsea Manning Transition-Related Care

SEXUALITIES, 16 Feb 2015

Mitch Kellaway – The Advocate Magazine

Military Approves Hormone Therapy for Chelsea [Bradley] Manning

This is the second time military officials have said Manning could begin treatment deemed ‘medically necessary,’ and follows Manning filing a lawsuit for healthcare access.

Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning

13 Feb 2015 – Chelsea Manning, the former Army private and transgender whistleblower serving 35 years in military prison for exposing U.S. security secrets to website WikiLeaks, has reportedly been approved by the Defense Department to begin hormone therapy in military prison, reports USA Today.

Bradley [Chelsea] Manning. (Photo: Patrick Semansky, AP)

Bradley [Chelsea] Manning. (Photo: Patrick Semansky, AP)

Col. Erica Nelson, the commandant at the all-male U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where Manning has been held following her 2010 conviction, reportedly gave Manning the green light to begin hormone treatments in a February 5 memo, according to anonymous department officials cited by USA Today.

Manning has been lobbying for access to treatments, which her doctor determined were “medically necessary,” in line with the American Psychiatric Association and American Medical Association’s stances on transition-related healthcare, since shortly after she came out as trans in August 2013.

This directive — if followed through — marks the first time the U.S. Army has allowed an imprisoned soldier access to hormone therapy, and follows Manning’s lawsuit against the Pentagon and former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, seeking access to treatment in September 2014.

It’s unclear when or if Manning will in fact receive such treatment, particularly because there has been no change to current military regulations that determine any transition-related treatment, or even a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, as evidence of a “mental illness” and grounds for discharge. Notably, then-Secretary Hagel reportedly approved Manning for “rudimentary” treatment for her diagnosed gender dysphoria in July 2014, but a month later Manning made a public statement that she had not received any treatment, and had instead been subject to government “lip service.”

In that 2014 statement, Manning reiterated an argument often advanced by her attorney, American Civil Liberties Union LGBT and HIV Project lawyer Chase Strangio, pointing out that denial of treatment deemed medically necessary constitutes a violation of her basic rights, including the freedom from “cruel and unusual punishment,” guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment.

Manning went on to describe in her statement feelings of depression and anxiety that emerged from not being able to express her authentic gender, stating in her lawsuit that, “I do not believe I’ll be able to survive another year or two … without treatment.” She detailed the strictly regimented gender presentation mandated by military prison policy, and noted that these requirements — including the name sewn into her clothes, pronouns used to refer to her, and grooming standards to which she must adhere, including her haircut — restrict her ability to express herself.

The Defense Department’s recent decision to allow her hormone therapy does not alter these regulations, notes Strangio. “The military continues to refuse to let Chelsea grow her hair like other female prisoners, a critical part of her treatment plan that has been recognized by her doctors. The resistance to meeting Chelsea’s full treatment needs is a reflection of the deeply entrenched stigma associated with transgender health care.”

Still, Strangio is cautiously optimistic as Manning waits the day she’ll begin hormone therapy. “She has fought her whole life, and particularly over the course of the past few years, to be seen and affirmed as whom she is — as Chelsea. We are thrilled for Chelsea that the government has finally agreed to initiate hormone therapy as part of her treatment plan,” he stated.

“But the delay in treatment came with a significant cost to Chelsea and her mental health, and we are hopeful that the government continues to meet Chelsea’s medical needs as is its obligation under the Constitution, so that those harms can be mitigated.”

Go to Original – advocate.com

 

Share this article:


DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


Comments are closed.