Chelsea Manning
Manning’s name first came to public attention under very serious and suspicious circumstances. The US Army charged Private Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old young man, of leaking confidential information in 2010. She was imprisoned from 2010 to 2017 for violations of the Espionage Act. Chelsea petitioned the US government three years into her sentence to allow her to transition. While the military immediately denied her request, her attorney enlisted the help of organizations like GLAAD, the ACLU, and the Human Rights Campaign to help her request be approved. Manning was allowed for gender transition surgery after a three-year battle, a first for a transgender inmate.
Chelsea Manning
Balian Buschbaum
Balian was a world-class athlete before transitioning to a transgender man. Born Yvonne Buschbaum in Germany, he trained in pole vaulting for most of his childhood and won the European Junior Championship at the age of 19. Despite he qualified for the Olympics, an injury ended his career short. Balian began to analyze his life, looking within to understand why he was not fulfilled, with newfound time on his hands during his recovery. It was then that he recognized he was a man, not a lady. He had gender transition surgery in 2008 and has since used his physical skills in a new way, as a dancer. He auditioned for Let’s Dance, the German version of Dancing With the Stars, and advanced to the fourth round.
Balian Buschbaum
