One day after being sentenced to 35 years in prison, Army Pvt. Bradley Manning said Thursday he wants to live the rest of his life as a woman.

“I am Chelsea Manning. I am female,” Manning told NBC’s “Today” show, less than 24 hours after receiving his sentence on espionage, theft and other charges in connection with leaking more than 700,000 documents to WikiLeaks in 2010.

“Given the way 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,” his statement continues. “I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun … I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.”

He signed the letter “Chelsea E. Manning,” according to NBC News.

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