Bradley Manning says he wants to live as a woman

[August 22, 2013]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Bradley Manning says he plans to live as a woman and begin hormone therapy, a day after the soldier was sentenced to 35 years in prison for sending classified information to WikiLeaks.

In a written statement provided to NBC's "Today" show on Thursday morning, Manning said he planned to live as a woman named Chelsea.

A military judge announced the sentence in Manning's court-martial on Wednesday. Manning's struggle with gender identity disorder -- his sense that he was a woman trapped in a man's body -- was a key part of the defense.

Attorneys had presented evidence of Manning's struggle with gender identity, including a photo of the soldier in a blond wig and lipstick sent to a therapist.

[Associated Press]

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