The case of Army Pvt. Bradley Edward Manning, who insists his name is now Chelsea Elizabeth Manning because he wants to spend his 35 years behind bars as a woman, just won’t go quietly into the Fort Leavenworth prison night.
Fox News has come under fire for refusing to cite Manning, who is still a male — despite his offer to pay for his own hormone treatments if the Army would allow them — as a woman. The news outlet drove home its stance Tuesday, heading into commercial with the Aerosmith song “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” in the background and broadcasting photos of Manning dressed in his blond-bombshell wig as Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Fox News host Gregg Jarrett said on air — and in response to the growing pressure from various entities who are sympathetic to Manning — during a segment a few days ago, “I don’t do what Bradley Manning wants me to do.”
Neither does CNN. Executives announced its reporters and anchors would continue to call Manning a “he” because the soldier, who’s in a Fort Leavenworth military prison for releasing classified documents to WikiLeaks, is not actually taking hormone therapy or undergoing any medical procedure that would change his gender.
The Associated Press, meanwhile, announced this week that all future reports would refer to Manning with feminine pronouns.
Though sympathizers to Manning’s gender plight have expressed outrage for what they characterize as a media-driven insensitivity to the transgender cause, plenty of others say Fox is right: Manning is not a woman.
“I’m pretty sure until the hormones are taken and necessary surgeries have been carried out he will legally be a man! Get over it!” one commenter wrote below the Daily Mail’s story about the Fox News issue.
And another: “Bradley Manning is a guy, regardless of what he wants to be.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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