(CNN) Imprisoned former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has learned that she will receive gender transition surgery, her lawyer told CNN, in what could make her the first US prison inmate to undergo such a procedure.

Manning, a transgender woman, was convicted of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of documents and videos to WikiLeaks.

The former US Army soldier is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, an all-male Army prison in eastern Kansas, despite her request to transfer to a civilian prison. Her lawyers say she has been denied medical treatment for her gender dysphoria, a condition in which there is a conflict between a person's physical sex and the gender he or she identifies with.

The government's refusal to treat her for her condition led to a suicide attempt in July, her lawyers said.

Manning began a hunger strike on September 9 to demand treatment and access to medically prescribed recommendations for her condition. It ended on Tuesday when she received word that the military will provide treatment for her gender dysphoria, beginning with surgery recommended by her psychologist, according to the ACLU, which is representing Manning.

The Army declined to confirm the claim, saying "We cannot and will not discuss the medical needs of individuals."

A new Department of Defense policy , which takes effect in October, lays out processes under which service members may transition. Under the policy, "service members with a diagnosis from a military medical provider indicating that gender transition is medically necessary will be provided medical care and treatment for the diagnosed medical condition." It is not clear if or how the policy applies to inmates like Manning.

'This is all that I wanted'

Manning told her lawyers that she expects "to meet with a team of doctors in the next week or two to move the process forward to prepare for surgery," ACLU attorney Chase Strangio said in an email.

No "concrete timeline was given," he said.

The development could make Manning the first transgender person to receive gender affirming surgical treatment in any US prison, military, state or federal, the ACLU said.

Manning began publicly identifying as a woman in August 2013, the day after her sentencing. She filed a lawsuit in 2014 against the Department of Defense so she could grow out her hair, use cosmetics and receive hormone treatment "in order to express her female gender."

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Last year, the Army agreed to provide her with hormone therapy but would not allow her to groom as a woman.

"I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me," Manning said in a statement through the ACLU.

"But it is hard not to wonder why it has taken so long. Also, why were such drastic measures needed? The surgery was recommended in April 2016. The recommendations for my hair length were back in 2014. In any case, I hope this sets a precedent for the thousands of trans people behind me hoping they will be given the treatment they need."

'Absolutely vital care'

Manning's lawyer said she still faces charges related to her suicide attempt. Her hearing will be held on September 20, he said in a tweet.

Plan for surgery important step for @xychelsea but she is still facing charges related to suicide attempt on 9/20. https://t.co/sJqcsF6hjc. — Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) September 13, 2016

"This is a monumental day for Chelsea, who can now enjoy some peace knowing that critically needed medical care is forthcoming. This medical care is absolutely vital for Chelsea as it is for so many transgender people — in and out of prison — who are systemically denied treatment solely because they are transgender," he said in a statement.

"Thankfully the government has recognized its constitutional obligation to provide Chelsea with the medical care that she needs and we hope that they will act without delay to ensure that her suffering does not needlessly continue."</s>Whistleblower Chelsea Manning has ended her hunger strike after the Army agreed to give her gender transition surgery.

The transgender soldier, who is serving a 35-year prison term for passing classified files to WikiLeaks, went on hunger strike on Friday.

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union announced Manning, 28, had ended her protest after the Army agreed to the treatment.

Arrested originally as Bradley Manning, she was convicted in 2013 of six Espionage Act violations and 14 other offenses for leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents, plus some battlefield video.

Manning, who was an intelligence analyst in Iraq at the time, later filed a transgender prisoner rights lawsuit.

She has appealed the criminal case, arguing that her sentence was 'grossly unfair' and that her actions were those of a naive, troubled soldier who aimed to reveal the toll of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The appeal contends Manning's disclosures harmed no one, but prosecutors have said the leaked material damaged US security and identified informants who helped US forces.

Her attorney's statement concluded: 'For us, hearing Chelsea's voice after learning that she had attempted to take her life last week was incredibly emotional.

'She is someone who has fought so hard for so many issues we care about and we are honored to fight for her freedom and medical care.'

Manning made an attempt to take her own life in July, her attorneys confirmed.

Chelsea Manning's legal representatives said in a statement: 'Last week, Chelsea made a decision to end her life. Her attempt to take her own life was unsuccessful.'

They did not disclose details about the July 5 incident at the military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, where the 28-year-old is serving a 35-year sentence.

But they accused the U.S. Army of a 'gross breach of confidentiality' for publicly revealing last week that Manning had been rushed to hospital.

Manning's lawyers added that the soldier 'knows that people have questions about how she is doing' and will remain under close observation at the lockup for several weeks.

'She would have preferred to keep her private medical information private, and instead focus on her recovery,' said her attorneys.

'The government's gross breach of confidentiality in disclosing her personal health information to the media has created the very real concern that they may continue their unauthorized release of information about her publicly without warning.'

Manning herself has since taken to Twitter, posting: 'I am okay. I'm glad to be alive. Thank you all for your love <3 I will get through this. #standwithchelsea'

If you need to speak to a counselor, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1 (800) 273-8255.</s>Imprisoned transgender soldier Chelsea Manning has ended a hunger strike after five days when the US Army agreed to provide surgery to treat her gender dysphoria, her representatives said.

The move is a major milestone not just for Manning, but for the US military, which in June announced it would begin allowing openly transgender people to serve, and would cover medical expenses related to the condition.

Manning started a hunger strike Friday to protest what she said was the military's refusal to treat her condition, and for forcing her to keep her hair short.

"I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted -- for them to let me be me," Manning said in a statement released by the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the Pentagon in 2014 over Manning's medical treatment.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Originally called Bradley, Manning was convicted in August 2013 of espionage and other offenses after admitting to handing classified documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.

She attempted suicide in July and has repeatedly decried her treatment in a men's military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where she is appealing her 35-year sentence.

Chase Strangio, staff attorney with the ACLU, said Manning would still be subject to male grooming standards.

"It is nonetheless troubling that the government continues to insist that they will enforce the male hair-length standards against her and subject her to a disciplinary board over administrative charges related to her suicide attempt in July, which was precipitated by the government's refusal to adequately treat her for gender dysphoria," Strangio said.

The ACLU said no transgender individual had ever received "gender affirming" surgical treatment in prison before.

The Pentagon has said it would pay for troops to have gender surgery when deemed "medically necessary".</s>(CNN) Imprisoned former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has learned that she will receive gender transition surgery, her lawyer told CNN, in what could make her the first US prison inmate to undergo such a procedure.

Manning, a transgender woman, was convicted of stealing and disseminating 750,000 pages of documents and videos to WikiLeaks.

The former US Army soldier is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, an all-male Army prison in eastern Kansas. Her lawyers say she has been denied medical treatment for her gender dysphoria, a condition in which there is a conflict between a person's physical sex and the gender he or she identifies with.

The government's refusal to treat her for her condition led to a suicide attempt in July, her lawyers said.

Manning began a hunger strike on September 9 to demand treatment and access to medically prescribed recommendations for her condition. It ended on Tuesday when she received word that the military will provide treatment for her gender dysphoria, beginning with surgery recommended by her psychologist, according to the ACLU, which is representing Manning.

The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Manning told her lawyers that she expects "to meet with a team of doctors in the next week or two to move the process forward to prepare for surgery," ACLU attorney Chase Strangio said in an email.

No "concrete timeline was given," he said.

The development could make Manning the first transgender person to receive gender affirming surgical treatment in any US prison, military, state or federal, the ACLU said.

Last year, the Army agreed to provide her with hormone therapy but would not allow her to groom as a woman.

"I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me," Manning said in a statement through the ACLU.

"But it is hard not to wonder why it has taken so long. Also, why were such drastic measures needed? The surgery was recommended in April 2016. The recommendations for my hair length were back in 2014. In any case, I hope this sets a precedent for the thousands of trans people behind me hoping they will be given the treatment they need."

Strangio said Manning still faces charges related to her suicide attempt. Her hearing will be held on September 20, he said in a tweet.

"This is a monumental day for Chelsea, who can now enjoy some peace knowing that critically needed medical care is forthcoming. This medical care is absolutely vital for Chelsea as it is for so many transgender people — in and out of prison — who are systemically denied treatment solely because they are transgender," he said in a statement.

"Thankfully the government has recognized its constitutional obligation to provide Chelsea with the medical care that she needs and we hope that they will act without delay to ensure that her suffering does not needlessly continue."</s>A transgender soldier imprisoned in the US for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks will end a hunger strike after the Army agreed to allow her to receive medical treatment for her gender dysphoria.

Chelsea Manning’s medical treatment will begin with surgery that was recommended by her psychologist in April, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

Manning began the hunger strike at Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas on Friday, vowing to continue until she received better treatment.

'Let me be me'

“I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that,” said Mannig, who attended Tasker Milward school in Pembrokeshire for four years.

“This is all that I wanted – for them to let me be me.

“But it is hard not to wonder why it has taken so long. In any case, I hope this sets a precedent for the thousands of trans people behind me hoping they will be given the treatment they need.”

Manning, who was arrested in 2010 as Bradley Manning, was convicted in 2013 in military court of leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents to WikiLeaks.

Manning was an intelligence analyst in Iraq at the time. She is serving a 35-year sentence.

ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio said Manning should “enjoy some peace” knowing the medical care was coming.

“Thankfully the government has recognised its constitutional obligation to provide Chelsea with the medical care that she needs and we hope that they will act without delay to ensure that her suffering does not needlessly continue.”

Ms Strangio said it is worrying that Manning still faces administrative charges related to a suicide attempt on July 5 at the military prison.

She wants the Army to drop those charges and stop efforts to make Manning cut her hair to male hair length military standards.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit in 2014 against the US Department of Defence over its refusal to treat Manning’s gender dysphoria.</s>Wikileaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning has ended her hunger strike after the US Army said she would be allowed to receive gender transition surgery .

The 28-year-old Army private, who is currently serving a 35-year prison term in Kansas for leaking classified files, announced the hunger strike on Friday.

Manning was born male and was formally known as Bradley but revealed, after being convicted of espionage, that she identifies as a woman.

Her treatment will begin with the surgery that was recommended by her psychologist in April, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

No transgender inmate has ever before received gender affirming surgical treatment in prison, the ACLU said.
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In a statement, Manning said: "I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me."

She went on to criticise the government for taking "so long."

A representative for the US Department of Defense could not immediately be reached for comment.

In July, Manning tried to take her own life over what her representatives said was the government's denial of appropriate treatment for her gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person feels their physical gender is the opposite of the one he or she identifies with.

The Army announced later that month that it would investigate Manning for misconduct in connection with the attempt to take her own life, a probe that could lead to indefinite solitary confinement, reclassification into maximum security or additional prison time.

According to Manning's representatives, doctors have recommended that as part of her treatment for gender dysphoria the soldier, who began hormone therapy in 2015, be allowed to follow "female hair grooming standards."
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ACLU staff attorney Chase Strangio said in Tuesday's statement that the government plans to still enforce the male hair standards.

Manning, a former intelligence analyst in Iraq, was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison after a military court conviction of providing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. The case ranked as the biggest breach of classified materials in U.S. history.

Among the files Manning leaked in 2010 was a gunsight video of a US Apache helicopter firing on suspected Iraqi insurgents in 2007, an attack that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.</s>U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning, who was born male but identifies as a woman, imprisoned for handing over classified files to pro-transparency site WikiLeaks, is pictured dressed as a woman in this 2010 photograph obtained on August 14, 2013. Courtesy U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning, serving a 35-year prison term for passing classified files to WikiLeaks, ended her hunger strike on Tuesday after the Army said she would be allowed to receive gender transition surgery, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

The 28-year-old Army private, who was born male but revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identifies as a woman, announced the hunger strike on Friday.

Manning's treatment will begin with the surgery that was recommended by her psychologist in April, the ACLU, which represented Manning, said in a statement. Manning is held in Kansas.

No transgender inmate has ever before received gender affirming surgical treatment in prison, the ACLU said.

"I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me," Manning said in a statement, though she went on to criticize the government for taking "so long."

A representative for the U.S. Department of Defense could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday evening.

Manning in July tried to commit suicide over what her representatives said was the government's denial of appropriate treatment for her gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person feels their physical gender is the opposite of the one he or she identifies with.

The Army announced later that month that it would investigate Manning for misconduct in connection with the attempt to take her own life, a probe that could lead to indefinite solitary confinement, reclassification into maximum security or additional prison time.

According to Manning's representatives, doctors have recommended that as part of her treatment for gender dysphoria the soldier, who began hormone therapy in 2015, be allowed to follow "female hair grooming standards."

ACLU staff attorney Chase Strangio said in Tuesday's statement that the government plans to still enforce the male hair standards.

Manning, a former intelligence analyst in Iraq, was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison after a military court conviction of providing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. The case ranked as the biggest breach of classified materials in U.S. history.

Among the files Manning leaked in 2010 was a gunsight video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing on suspected Iraqi insurgents in 2007, an attack that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.</s>A transgender soldier imprisoned in Kansas for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks says she is ending a hunger strike because the Army has agreed to allow her to get medical treatment for her gender dysphoria.

Chelsea Manning began a hunger strike Friday to protest her treatment at Fort Leavenworth. The American Civil Liberties Union said in a news release Tuesday that Manning's treatment will begin with surgery that her psychologist recommended in April. Manning says in the release that she's relieved the military approved the treatment but frustrated that it took so long.

Manning, who was arrested as Bradley Manning, was convicted in 2013 in military court of leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents.</s>The imprisoned US soldier Chelsea Manning has ended a hunger strike after the army said she would be allowed to receive gender transition surgery, the American Civil Liberties Union has announced.

Ms Manning (28), who is serving a 35-year prison term for passing classified files to WikiLeaks, began the hunger strike on Friday.

Ms Manning’s treatment would begin with the surgery that was recommended by her psychologist in April, said the ACLU, which represented Ms Manning, who is held in Kansas.

Ms Manning criticised the government in a statement for taking “so long” but said: “I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted – for them to let me be me.”

The army private formerly known as Bradley Manning revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identified as a woman.

No transgender inmate had ever before received such surgical treatment in prison, the ACLU said.

Ms Manning in July attempted suicide over what her representatives said was the government’s denial of appropriate treatment for her gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person feels their physical gender is the opposite of the one he or she identifies with.

The army announced later that month that it would investigate Ms Manning for misconduct in connection with the attempt to take her own life, a probe that could lead to indefinite solitary confinement, reclassification into maximum security or additional prison time.

According to Ms Manning’s representatives, doctors have recommended that as part of her treatment for gender dysphoria the soldier, who began hormone therapy in 2015, be allowed to follow “female hair grooming standards”.

ACLU staff attorney Chase Strangio said in Tuesday’s statement that the government planned to still enforce the male hair standards.

Bradley Manning, a former intelligence analyst in Iraq, was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison after a military court conviction of providing more than 700,000 documents, videos, diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. The case ranked as the biggest breach of classified materials in US history.

Among the files Bradley Manning leaked in 2010 was a gunsight video of a US Apache helicopter firing on suspected Iraqi insurgents in 2007, an attack that killed a dozen people including two Reuters news staff.</s>U.S. soldier Chelsea Manning, serving a 35-year prison term for passing classified files to WikiLeaks, ended her hunger strike on Tuesday after the Army said she would be allowed to receive gender transition surgery, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said. Manning (28), who was born male but revealed after being convicted of espionage that she identifies as a woman, announced the hunger strike on Friday.

Manning’s treatment will begin with the surgery that was recommended by her psychologist in April, the ACLU, which represented Manning, said in a statement. Manning is held in Kansas.

No transgender inmate has ever before received gender affirming surgical treatment in prison, the ACLU said. “I am unendingly relieved that the military is finally doing the right thing. I applaud them for that. This is all that I wanted — for them to let me be me,” Manning said in a statement, though she went on to criticise the government for taking “so long.”
Imprisoned former American Army intelligence analyst and transgender person Chelsea Manning, who is serving a 35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, will have the military provide the costs of gender reassignment surgery. She was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly three-quarters of a million classified or unclassified but sensitive military and diplomatic documents.