“This is all that I wanted – for them to let me be me”, she said.
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At the time, a spokeswoman for the Army prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where Manning was being held, said that the prison did not provide hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery.
Manning, who is imprisoned for passing military documents and other materials to WikiLeaks, could become the first USA prison inmate to undergo transition surgery, according to CNN.
Until her surgery, the military will still require Manning to keep her hair short.
“Chelsea alerted attorneys and supporters that she was ending the hunger strike after government officials showed her a memo stating that she will receive gender-reassignment surgery, under the DOD’s new policy affecting transgender service members”.
Ms Manning (28), who is serving a 35-year prison term for passing classified files to WikiLeaks, began the hunger strike on Friday. On Tuesday, she was shown a treatment protocol that had a number of recommendations for her in writing, he said, confirming that a doctor’s recommendation from April that she be treated for gender dysphoria was being followed. Also, why were such drastic measures needed?
Manning, formerly known as Bradley, has not only made headlines for her acts of espionage, but also for her change in gender identity after the court case was closed.
The medical treatment will begin with the surgery that was recommended by her psychologist in April, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement.
“I hope this sets a precedent for the thousands of trans people behind me hoping they will be given the treatment they need”, Manning said in a statement released by the ACLU.
The length of Manning’s hair continues to be an issue.
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“This is a monumental day for Chelsea, who can now enjoy some peace knowing that critically needed medical care is forthcoming”, Strangio said. Earlier this summer, Manning attempted suicide – something for which transgender people are at a significantly elevated risk – leading to further charges against her. If she does get to schedule the surgery (and they don’t put anymore roadblocks in her way), Manning will be the first transgender person to ever receive surgery while still in prison. On Friday, Manning announced that she would not consume any food or drink voluntarily, except for water and now prescribed medications, or cut or shorten her hair, in response to what she described as “bullying” by the prison and USA government officials.
