Accepting Chelsea Manning!

[Badtranny]

And so for that reason she is a "he"?

No Ellen. We are skeptical of this person because they are a proven liar. She may very well be TG but as you mentioned it's a completely separate issue isn't it. The fact that she came out as transsexual is just icing on a poop sandwich as far as I'm concerned. This person has undeniable mental problems and while I have no doubt that she has discussed this issue in the past she has also been openly gay so what if she is actually just a drag queen? I'm not saying she is, but there are plenty of gay men who are indistinguishable from TS women until they take everything off and are men again. Maybe she's been back and forth on this issue and she is in the "I'm a woman phase" now because of the stress of the trial. Maybe she is actually a TS woman who is finally accepting herself.

Like Kaitlyn said, people ask us at work what we think about this and I don't think anyone who hasn't transitioned at work in front of everyone can understand how embarrassing this is. I don't talk about this issue in CIS circles because I don't want the association, but people ask me if I think she's really transsexual. CIS people ask ME if she is really transsexual? Why are they asking that? Because the feeling among people outside of the community is that this person is a nut and they might be making it up. Why do they think that? ...and those are the people who are understanding. The people who hates us think she really IS transsexual because she really IS a nut.

This is not a person I'm going to invite under my rainbow flag anytime soon. I need to see how this shakes out first.

[Angela Campbell]

Melissa I agree with what you say. I have no respect for someone like this but my concern is the comments here that are aimed at not Pvt Manning but all of us.

Yes this may be a nutcase...well no doubt about that, and a completely deplorable set of behaviors which I would not want to be associated with. But when someone declares themselves to to be trans and comments are made as I have seen it bothers me. I have said I do not know this person and really do not know, but look at some of the comments.

A proven liar.....well for 50 years I lied a lot too.....so did you I imagine. (no disrespect to anyone intended)

I think I have said enough now.

[Kathryn Martin]

....she still doesn't deserve the kind of acrimony she's getting from this community on the basis of gender identity.

I just don't understand on what basis everyone assumes he is what he says. And the problem is that he broke the law, knowingly, fully aware of the consequences facing him, then announced himself. Am I the only one who thinks some does not smell right?

[Nigella]

OK this has been done to a death, It is quite an emotive subject and I feel that everyone has had the opportunity to put their views across. There are a number of sub topics that have arisen and I would be happy to see new threads regarding them, but as for the subject of Chelsea Manning it is now done here.