Fort Meade, MD – Army private Bradley Manning was just sentenced to 35 years in a military prison for leaking over 700,000 documents to the controversial website, WikiLeaks. However, Manning has just revealed his plan to live out the rest of his life as a woman, asking that he be referred to as “Chelsea Manning” from now on.

On Thursday morning, Manning’s attorney read a statement from the army private on NBC’s “Today” show. “I am Chelsea Manning,” the statement read. “I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the female pronoun (except in office mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.”

The letter was signed “Chelsea E. Manning.”