Chelsea Manning, a veteran who is responsible for one of the largest leaks of classified information in US history, has been arrested in connection to a protest staged in the US Congress against a policy banning trans women from accessing women’s bathrooms.
A former Army intelligence analyst, Chelsea Manning gained prominence after she leaked thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents. She was convicted in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act, and her sentence was later commuted by President Barack Obama.
On Thursday, December 5, the 37-year-old was among a group of activists who stood in the US Capitol bathrooms with a sign that read “Flush Bathroom Bigotry” to protest against the policy banning trans women from accessing them. According to reports, police threatened Manning and other protesters with charges of sexual misconduct if they didn’t leave the women’s facilities.
15 of the activists were subsequently arrested, including Manning. They were held in custody for several hours following the events.
Speaking to CCN, Manning said about the protest: “I’m here today because every person deserves dignity and respect, both in daily life and in more symbolic places like the US Capitol.”
“As someone who has fought against similar rules, I know what it’s like to feel pushed aside and erased,” she added. “But I also know the incredible power and resilience our community has.
“I’m not here as a leader or a spokesperson but simply as another member of my community who shows up unconditionally to support my siblings in this fight. I will stand beside them no matter what. We didn’t start this fight, but we are together now.”
The group of activists was protesting a policy which was approved by House Speaker Mike Johnson on November 21 after being proposed by Republican Nancy Mace. The policy establishes that lawmakers can’t use “single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex”, de facto banning trans people from accessing facilities that reflect their gender.
After it was passed, Republican Mace admitted that the policy was “absolutely” targeted towards Sarah McBride, who after the election became the first and only out trans member of Congress in the US.
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