Remember Bradley Manning, the young Army intelligence analyst with access to classified military documents who handed over a treasure trove of material to Julian Assange, who then famously posted all of it on WikiLeaks? For his actions, Manning has been in prison for months while awaiting a possible death penalty trial, reportedly being tortured along the way, and stories have been leaked during that time that the young soldier had mental health issues that went ignored by his superiors — feeding a growing media narrative that Manning’s criminal actions were inspired by, well, insanity.
But a peek at his Facebook page, as pointed out by The Lookout, reveals something deeper and much more specific: That Manning had been simmering for quite some time over the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy regarding gay soldiers in the U.S. armed forces, having grown tired of having to keep his sexuality a secret and the feelings of isolation that brought about.
Frontline was given access to the Facebook page, excerpts of which they posted online this morning in connection with a report on Manning and WikiLeaks that will air tonight on PBS.
Reports The Lookout:
In the postings, the army intelligence analyst broadcasts his gay rights activism, joining scores of groups like “LGBT Rights” and “REPEAL THE BAN–End ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,'” and shares thoughts about his boyfriend, in apparent violation of the military’s ban on gays serving openly. But the postings, which span nearly three years, also depict a young man who by last year had grown deeply frustrated by the need to hide his sexuality from his colleagues, and was fighting feelings of despair and isolation.
President Obama signed a bill to repeal DADT in December and it has since begun to be implemented.