This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37357959
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Chelsea Manning ends hunger strike after US army agrees to gender surgery | Chelsea Manning ends hunger strike after US army agrees to gender surgery |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Chelsea Manning, the US soldier jailed for passing data to WikiLeaks, says she has ended a hunger strike because the army has agreed to provide her with gender transition surgery. | Chelsea Manning, the US soldier jailed for passing data to WikiLeaks, says she has ended a hunger strike because the army has agreed to provide her with gender transition surgery. |
| Psychologists recommended in April that she should receive the treatment, commonly known as a sex change. | Psychologists recommended in April that she should receive the treatment, commonly known as a sex change. |
| The move comes after the US military in July lifted a ban on transgender people in the armed forces. | The move comes after the US military in July lifted a ban on transgender people in the armed forces. |
| The 28-year-old was convicted in 2013 of leaking secret documents. | The 28-year-old was convicted in 2013 of leaking secret documents. |
| "I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted - for them to let me be me," Ms Manning said in a statement. | "I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted - for them to let me be me," Ms Manning said in a statement. |
| The US Army has so far declined to comment. | |
| But the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represented Ms Manning, confirmed that she would be provided with medical treatment. | |
| ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, said: "This is a monumental day for Chelsea, who can now enjoy some peace knowing that critically needed medical care is forthcoming. | |
| "Thankfully the government has recognised its constitutional obligation to provide Chelsea with the medical care that she needs." | |
| Chelsea Manning began her hunger strike on Friday, saying she was being bullied by the US government and denied treatment for gender dysphoria - the sense of one's gender being at odds with one's sex at birth. | Chelsea Manning began her hunger strike on Friday, saying she was being bullied by the US government and denied treatment for gender dysphoria - the sense of one's gender being at odds with one's sex at birth. |
| In July she attempted suicide over the lack of treatment. | In July she attempted suicide over the lack of treatment. |
| She will now be treated under the US military's new transgender policy, which also allows troops to transition gender while serving and aims to set standards for medical care. | She will now be treated under the US military's new transgender policy, which also allows troops to transition gender while serving and aims to set standards for medical care. |
| However her campaign team said she could still face being put in solitary confinement as punishment for having tried to commit suicide. | However her campaign team said she could still face being put in solitary confinement as punishment for having tried to commit suicide. |
| Ms Manning, who was arrested as Bradley Manning, is serving a 35-year sentence at the all-male Fort Leavenworth military facility in Kansas. | Ms Manning, who was arrested as Bradley Manning, is serving a 35-year sentence at the all-male Fort Leavenworth military facility in Kansas. |
| She was convicted in a military court of leaking more than 700,000 secret files to Wikileaks after having worked as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. | She was convicted in a military court of leaking more than 700,000 secret files to Wikileaks after having worked as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. |
| Shortly afterwards she announced she would start living as a woman. | Shortly afterwards she announced she would start living as a woman. |