Chelsea Manning has gone from a prison jumpsuit to a vintage bathing suit in the September issue of Vogue — in which she hinted at a possible run at elected office.
The transgender, former military specialist — thrown in jail for leaking a trove of documents about the American military to WikiLeaks — was photographed by famed shutterbug Annie Leibovitz in a red Norma Kamali one piece, a fashionable nod to the traditional swim suits of the 1950s with a thick halter top and ruched front.
Manning, whose 35-year prison sentence was commuted after seven years by then-President Obama in January, told the mag that she hasn’t closed the door on a political career– a keen interest of hers when she was living as Bradley Manning.
“I’m certainly not going to say no, and I’m certainly not going to say yes,” she said. “My goal is to use these next six months to figure out where I want to go.”
Manning has been living in a sleek Tribeca building since her release and managed to walk around the city unnoticed for weeks after her arrival.
“It’s not like I’m living in fear or anything,” she said. “I’m so glad to be out and about and walking around.”
Manning said she’s in the process of writing a memoir and plans to move to a Maryland suburb over the next six months.