“The only thing Chelsea Manning is qualified to speak on is being a traitor and horrible soldier.”
Chelsea Manning—formerly known as Bradley Manning—has been quite outspoken on several topics since she was released from prison back in May, when then-President Barack Obama commuted her 35-year sentence after serving just 7 years. Almost immediately after she was released, Manning popped up on social media and has been basking in her growing following ever since. She has rebranded herself as an advocate for the LGBTQ community and has launched a new career as an inspirational speaker.
In fact, Harvard University has just named Manning as a visiting fellow for the academic year 2017-2018. She shares the honor with the likes of Sean Spicer. Harvard’s visiting fellows program features a lineup of influential people who are scheduled to appear at events hosted by the university with the intent to share ideas with the Harvard community and engage students in thought-provoking interaction.
While I recognize and empathize with the struggle of the LGBTQ community, I don’t recognize Chelsea Manning as a positive advocate of that struggle. According to the Harvard website, Manning will be appearing to speak about LGBTQ issues that are faced within the military.
Bradley Manning was not an open member of the LGBTQ community prior being locked up for leaking classified military documents to WikiLeaks.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Bradley Manning didn’t decide that he wanted to be a woman until he was already incarcerated. Bradley Manning was not an open member of the LGBTQ community prior being locked up for leaking classified military documents to WikiLeaks. For this reason, I fail to see how Chelsea Manning can be considered a Harvard-level subject matter expert on LGBTQ issues within the military.
I decided to take a trip to Manning’s Twitter page and was shocked to learn that she has so many supporters simply because “she’s a trans woman.” Never mind the damage Bradley Manning did to national security and the danger that he put the US Armed Forces in. She’s trans, so she gets redemption and a shiny new career.
I also learned that Chelsea Manning has a huge problem with the fact that Sean Spicer is also a Harvard visiting fellow. In a reply to Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol refusing to attend any of the Harvard events, Manning said, “Awesome! Can you ask Sean Spicer to do the same?” It’s also worth noting that Kristol said he would boycott the events even if Manning didn’t identify as a woman.
I can’t fathom why anyone would be interested in hearing what Chelsea Manning has to say, especially about a subject she has no experience in. The only thing Chelsea Manning is qualified to speak on is being a traitor and horrible soldier. This isn’t a person who served honorably, and she doesn’t deserve a platform to lecture anyone on what goes on inside the military. What is she going to do? Spill more classified information?
Ironically, Manning made an appearance at a random gathering to talk about the dangers of technology. That one had me scratching my head for a minute.
Irony is also not lost on Manning being named visiting “fellow.”
