Seventeen LGBT groups have signed on to
a letter spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
calling on President Barack Obama to grant clemency to Chelsea
Manning.
Manning, a former Army intelligence
analyst, is serving a 35-year prison sentence at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas for violating the Espionage Act.
The groups say Manning, who came out
transgender on the first day of her sentence, has been mistreated by
the Army.
“Manning, a transgender woman who is
being forced to serve out her sentence in an all-male prison, has
been subjected to long stretches of solitary confinement –
including for attempting suicide – and denied necessary medical
treatment related to her gender dysphoria,” the letter states. “The
Army even opposed her request to use her legal name and to be
referred to by female pronouns. While the armed forces have finally
opened the door to transgender men and women who wish to serve, the
government has continually fought Ms. Manning’s efforts to be
treated with basic dignity.”
The 29-year-old Manning has served
six-and-a-half years of her sentence.