Army Releases Photo of Wikileaker Bradley Manning in Wig and Makeup

http://gawker.com/army-releases-photo-of-wikileaker-bradley-manning-in-wi-1149171595?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

A photograph of Wikileaks leaker Bradley Manning wearing makeup and a blonde wig was released yesterday by the army as part of documentation related to Manning's trial. It's the first such photo of Manning, who is transgender.

The photograph was attached to emails Manning had sent to a therapist, Capt. Michael Worsley, and an NCOIC, Sgt. Paul Adkins, about gender identity, in which the army private expressed a belief that a career in the military might "get rid of it." Manning's lawyers introduced the email to Adkins and accompanying photograph as part of the trial. (Update to note: This paragraph has been changed to clarify that it was, specifically, the photograph to Adkins that was introduced as evidence.)

Wonderful. Now we're not just depraved deviants, we're also traitors to our country.

Here's to even more unnecessary violence. What a shame.

I want to think there won't be a backlash toward us over this.

Just the same, it bothers me that Manning is trans in some way, because his actions make us look like traitors to our nation (for those of us who live in the U.S.) as he could be the first trans person many people actually see. I won't state my opinion on the trial or case here, but I will say that knowing how most people think of what he did at least in my area ... this doesn't help us.

It also bothers me that the military prosecution team tried to frame him as willingly aiding the enemy because of a picture (I'm guessing this one?) of him smiling while cross dressing and wearing a wig. They were saying that because he looked so happy the next day, that surely he was willingly aiding the enemy. They didn't stop to think about the fact that he may have been smiling simply for enjoying how he was presenting. Apparently this photograph was their major evidence for the charge of willfully aiding the enemy. They tried to burn him any way they could and they used the fact he was trying to come out to a superior as proof of him guilt that could have landed him the death penalty.

Manning's actions trouble me because they make us look bad to people who don't know much about us. This should have been a non issue in the case.

The military prosecution trying to literally fry her over being trans ... that really makes me angry.

It's good to know we're all whistle blowers and threats to national security now!

I've made my feelings on Manning clear in the other thread.  All I will say is that his actions do not have anything to do with us.  No one is sitting there and looking at him judging the entire transgender community.  I don't think anyone would accuse us for releasing over 700,000 classified documents because we are also transgender.  I doubt anyone would think otherwise.

Meh, America is just butthurt because he exposed the governments dirty laundry to the world. The rest of the world  probably gave the US Government a hard time over what they saw. Frankly if you're dumb enough to leave post-it notes on secure computers with passwords on it and let a private access top secret files in the first place you deserve to be exposed like this. A private is still green, with 0 experience in the military and no one to give him a character profile and vouch for his integrity. And the post-it notes with passwords does not speak highly of the US Military one bit.

I just worry about other who are serving and come out as trans. Because this may hold back any chance of us being able to serve openly, or it may help us to get the freedom to serve as ourselves. Time will tell.

Quote from: Keaira on August 16, 2013, 01:16:44 PM
I just worry about other who are serving and come out as trans. Because this may hold back any chance of us being able to serve openly, or it may help us to get the freedom to serve as ourselves. Time will tell.

This was something else that crossed my mind. I can so see them pointing to Manning and saying "See? SEE?!" as a reason for why trans people shouldn't be allowed to serve. It's total nonsense to judge a group of people in such a manner based off of the actions of one individual ... but people do it all the time.

Quote from: learningtolive on August 16, 2013, 01:05:12 PM
I've made my feelings on Manning clear in the other thread.  All I will say is that his actions do not have anything to do with us.  No one is sitting there and looking at him judging the entire transgender community.  I don't think anyone would accuse us for releasing over 700,000 classified documents because we are also transgender.  I doubt anyone would think otherwise.

I sincerely hope you are correct, Learnigtolive.

Quote from: Keaira on August 16, 2013, 01:16:44 PM
Meh, America is just butthurt because he exposed the governments dirty laundry to the world. The rest of the world  probably gave the US Government a hard time over what they saw. Frankly if you're dumb enough to leave post-it notes on secure computers with passwords on it and let a private access top secret files in the first place you deserve to be exposed like this. A private is still green, with 0 experience in the military and no one to give his a character profile and vouch for his integrity. And the post-it notes with passwords does not speak highly of the US Military one bit.

I just worry about other who are serving and come out as trans. Because this may hold back any chance of us being able to serve openly, or it may help us to get the freedom to serve as ourselves. Time will tell.

But does it justify recklessly sending over 700,000 classified documents onto the internet? There is no way Manning read through all of those files and considered the broader political and tactical implications of her leaks.  There are also proper channels for him to taken which he ignored.  Granted, the Whistleblower protection act doesn't usually bode well for classified information, but he didn't even attempt it.  I think that is reckless behavior that could have potentially endangered our country.  Even though she released some information that should have been made public and I am a fan of transparency, it's not a good idea for us to support or encourage vigilante justice.  It could have bad consequences in the future.  Again, I don't think she is a bad person and believe she had good intent, but we can't promote this sort of behavior. 

Having said that, there was some information released through her leaks which were of importance to the public and deserved to be addressed.  This is why I think Manning does highlight the need for some reform in our Whistleblower system when it comes to military officers handling classified information.  The proper channels should exist and work for these individuals who desire to hold the government accountable and maintain transparency.  However, acting alone and being the sole arbitrator on what should be public is sort of a scary idea.  Especially considering that she released almost everything in site and didn't really consider the full impact of her actions.  That's why there needs to be a formal and legal system set up for this kind of thing. 

What value was bringing this picture up in this case? Are wigs and makeup a direct cause of people being a threat to US? Does Wikileaks cause people to start crossdressing? (Please note, some of that is sarcasm.)

Maybe I'm woefully ignorant on this case, but what was the point of that picture when it seems his gender status has little to do with the case on hand?

Quote from: wolfduality on August 16, 2013, 01:48:24 PM
What value was bringing this picture up in this case? Are wigs and makeup a direct cause of people being a threat to US? Does Wikileaks cause people to start crossdressing? (Please note, some of that is sarcasm.)

Maybe I'm woefully ignorant on this case, but what was the point of that picture when it seems his gender status has little to do with the case on hand?

I don't think this deserved to be brought up at all.  The reasoning from the prosecution, from what I read, was that he was relaxed and smiling a few days after the leaks.  As though he showed no remorse and was perfectly at ease with his decision.  It's more about the mentality and whether he iis sincere about his remorse or regret.  I don't buy that though and think there was a much different purpose behind it. I believe they used it to smere him and just belittle someone who has turned into a national and international hero.  It's more likely that they want to destroy his image and prevent others from following in his footsteps.

Quote from: learningtolive on August 16, 2013, 01:53:07 PM
I don't think this deserved to be brought up at all.  The reasoning from the prosecution, from what I read, was that he was relaxed and smiling a few days after the leaks.  As though he showed no remorse and was perfectly at ease with his decision.  It's more about the mentality and whether he iis sincere about his remorse or regret.  I don't buy that though and think there was a much different purpose behind it. I believe they used it to smere him and just belittle someone who has turned into a national and international hero.  It's more likely that they want to destroy his image and prevent others from following in his footsteps.

That's really my point too. I'm doubtful this is the only piece of evidence they have that can show that he was "relaxed" after the leaks, he sounded like a social enough guy so I'm sure SOMEONE could testify that he seemed unbothered by this. (Either online friends or offline friends.) This was all about shock and awe while unsettling the masses that don't deal with trans* people often or at least don't know they are dealing with trans* people. This was an attempt to make him seem more unbalanced because he's confused about his gender.

We all know how crazy trans* people are? Amiright? /sarcasm

Anyway, I don't think this was a direct attack to trans* people but it is unsettling that they resorted to childish "she's a weirdo! this is proof that this weirdo is the threat to us! that's why we shouldn't like her!". Kinda like a witchhunt to find SOMETHING different about someone just so they can justify their dislike/disapproval of this person. I might not be making sense, as I do believe she really messed up but I really think the government is trying to find anything to make her easier to dislike in the public eye while ignoring the legitimate issues the leaks showed.

Quote from: wolfduality on August 16, 2013, 02:12:02 PM
That's really my point too. I'm doubtful this is the only piece of evidence they have that can show that he was "relaxed" after the leaks, he sounded like a social enough guy so I'm sure SOMEONE could testify that he seemed unbothered by this. (Either online friends or offline friends.) This was all about shock and awe while unsettling the masses that don't deal with trans* people often or at least don't know they are dealing with trans* people. This was an attempt to make him seem more unbalanced because he's confused about his gender.

We all know how crazy trans* people are? Amiright? /sarcasm

Anyway, I don't think this was a direct attack to trans* people but it is unsettling that they resorted to childish "she's a weirdo! this is proof that this weirdo is the threat to us! that's why we shouldn't like her!". Kinda like a witchhunt to find SOMETHING different about someone just so they can justify their dislike/disapproval of this person. I might not be making sense, as I do believe she really messed up but I really think the government is trying to find anything to make her easier to dislike in the public eye while ignoring the legitimate issues the leaks showed.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/manning-lamo-logs/

I think the Lamo Chat logs were sufficient in proving his conviction in his beliefs.  I think there was no reason to reveal the photo and it shouldn't have been used, but it's about defaming him and preventing him from becoming an iconoclastic idol.   

Quote from: learningtolive on August 16, 2013, 02:26:44 PM
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/manning-lamo-logs/

I think the Lamo Chat logs were sufficient in proving his conviction in his beliefs.  I think there was no reason to reveal the photo and it shouldn't have been used, but it's about defaming him and preventing him from becoming an iconoclastic idol.

Agreed.

Btw, how I understand it is Manning leaked lots of documents, some that make him a hero in the eyes of the public but some that probably should've been kept unreleased. Which is why I say he "goofed", but I still think of him more as a hero for doing this. Am I right in this regard though? (About releasing some documents unnecessarily.)

The fact of the matter is that the picture in question was a defense exhibit in the court martial.  There was no breach of confidentiality with the therapist.  Furthermore, the exhibits have been released through the Army's FOIA office, as part of the record.

The Associated Press picked up on the exhibits immediately, and the AP article was posted in the "People News" section of the site, prior to this post being made.

Quote from: learningtolive on August 16, 2013, 01:46:30 PM
But does it justify recklessly sending over 700,000 classified documents onto the internet? There is no way Manning read through all of those files and considered the broader political and tactical implications of his leaks.  There are also proper channels for him to taken which he ignored.  Granted, the Whistleblower protection act doesn't usually bode well for classified information, but he didn't even attempt it.  I think that is reckless behavior that could have potentially endangered our country.  Even though he released some information that should have been made public and I am a fan of transparency, it's not a good idea for us to support or encourage vigilante justice.  It could have bad consequences in the future.  Again, I don't think he is a bad person and believe he had good intent, but we can't promote this sort of behavior. 

Having said that, there was some information released through his leaks which were of importance to the public and deserved to be addressed.  This is why I think Manning does highlight the need for some reform in our Whistleblower system when it comes to military officers handling classified information.  The proper channels should exist and work for these individuals who desire to hold the government accountable and maintain transparency.  However, acting alone and being the sole arbitrator on what should be public is sort of a scary idea.  Especially considering that he released almost everything in site and didn't really consider the full impact of his actions.  That's why there needs to be a formal and legal system set up for this kind of thing.

I neither approve or disprove of his actions. As far as I am concerned his commanding officers need to share the blame too. If one of my subordinates was acting out, you can bet his butt would be out of my department faster than you can say BFE. He should have been thrown in a cell and been examined by a councilor. But he wasn't. Had he been removed from service it would not have happened. A CO is responsible for the actions of those under them.

Kia Ora,

I feel sorry for him/her...The sacrificial scapegoat of the American nation...Others have done a lot worse...


Personally I think Bradley needs our support not our condemnation ...

Metta Zenda

Im not condeming him either. Big Government is giving itsself too many freedoms these days that infringe upon the ethics and morals this country was built on. They are just looking to divert attention from other shadyness, like Benghazi for instance, to this trial.this is all just for show. And you're right. Others Have done worse and gotten away with a lot less. But, its not what you know, its who you know that will get you places.

I can only hope that they will treat him with some level of dignity from now on because the SHU is not meant for long term use.

Quote from: Keaira on August 16, 2013, 01:16:44 PM
I just worry about other who are serving and come out as trans. Because this may hold back any chance of us being able to serve openly, or it may help us to get the freedom to serve as ourselves. Time will tell.

As of right now there is no chance to serve openly.  I am currently being processed out due to a GID diagnosis despite the fact that I stated that it is my desire to finish out my contract before I made any step toward transitioning.  It was then pointed out to me in black and white that GID = discharge. Although I must say that other than being offended that they do not wish to keep me in a job that is undermanned at the moment just because of gender identity, everyone in both the Army (medical personnel) and Navy (my chain of command) that I have interacted with about the issue have been nothing but respectful on the subject. 

I can't help but wonder if its a direct result of Manning's actions. Its still an ongoing issue and the Army's butt is still stinging for its screw-up.  Though I am curious, if you dont mind my asking, if you are intent on finishing your service, why come out in the first place to a military therapist? Why not wait?