Bradley Manning A Woman

[FredPuli43]

Bradley Manning has announced that he wishes to be called Chelsea and become a woman. Don't you find it ironic that a man who was so free with US state secrets was keeping one himself? And how did it come about that the US had a mere private who had access to such material and who, prima facie, was far from the ideal soldier (and I don't count his wish to change gender as any part of his lack of idealness) ?

[Old_Geezer]

Not really. I'm unsure there is much connection between the two. One is a private decision, the other state secrets.

Sorry. no idea how the US army work out their 'need to know' decisions.

[jno]

it doesn't appear to have been a secret. He/she sent a supervisor a photo showing him/her in female clothing, labelled "My problem". The supervisor seems not to have done anything about it. It does raise questions about oversight; I don't know what a supervisor's job specs are, but you'd think looking into something like this would be part of it.

[jno]

sorry, a llink might have helped

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/22/bradley-manning-woman-chelsea-gender-reassignment

[craft1948]

He's American, why am I not surprised...............

[Baby_Sham]

It wasn't a secret though, was it? There have been photographs of him dressed as a woman.

[Gromit]

Chelsea?
Is he going to sack his manager every nine months?

[sp1814]

A football reference that I understand?

Now there's growth!

[FredPuli43]

J Edgar Hoover reportedly dressed as a woman sometimes, so perhaps photos of Manning in a dress passed as nothing unusual, certainly from a security angle. :)

[jno]

that's the really odd thing, FredPuli - disregarding J Edgar (who was the boss), you'd think that, whatever the personal ramifications of being the wrong sex, it might make you a security problem because it would make you blackmailable.

Then again, Manning wasn't blackmailed as far as I know, so maybe it's not really a problem any more.

[sp1814]

jno

I think the number of situations where someone's sexuality would leave them open for blackmail is shrinking year on year.

There are certain people, for whom, it must still be a major worry (Hollywood leading men for instance), closeted married people etc.

But in terms of being blackmailed because of your profession in the secret service? I dunno.

"If you don't pass the documents on, I will reveal that you're gay/a cross-dresser"

"Okay then...perhaps you might want to start with all my Facebook friends, but they probably already know, seeing as they've all seen me dressed up in my posted photos over the past couple of years..."

[jno]

I think you must be right, sp1814. I even tried it myself: "Mr Perry, I will tell the nation of your disgusting habits if you don't stop producing your tedious ceramics at once."

Total fail.

[Octavius]

Me too jno, just the other day I was telling Lauren Harries to stop hogging the celebrity limelight or I will tell everyone exactly who she used to be.

Epic fail.

[FredPuli43]

But jno did you address Grayson Perry or did you address Claire? They are two different people, you know :)

[jno]

I was trying to kill two birds with one stone. I should just have thrown it at the ceramics.

[Booldawg]

worst time to come out ever - just about to start a 35 year prison sentence. Oh they'll make him a woman all right!

[FredPuli43]

LOL@jno

[tamborine]

that'll please the fella prisoners ;)

[Peter Pedant]

No Fred it should be

what is the adjective to describe someone who leaks his nations secrets and lets his own hang out as well.

we knew he dressed as a woman before the case began
(DT not Daily Mail - which presumably took its usual holier than thou attitude.)


James Morris if you recollect sudduv went up Everest in 1953 and came down as Jan Morris.

and what about the Chevalier d'Eon ? didnt he serve Louis XVI loyally as a woman in St Petersburg and a man in London ?

[Mattk]

"and what about the Chevalier d'Eon ? didnt he serve Louis XVI loyally as a woman in St Petersburg and a man in London ?"

You're just saying what we were all thinking.