ANOHNI, the British-American artist formerly known as Antony & The Johnsons has released a new track, titled "Obama," along with a video and a message to the American president, asking for him to release whistleblower Chelsea Manning before he leaves office. She sings, "Now the news is you are spying/Executing without trial/Betraying virtues/Scarring closed the sky/Punishing the whistle blowers/Those who tell the truth."
Along with the video, ANOHNI posted a more detailed open letter to President Obama, stating "If you leave Chelsea Manning in prison for whistle blowing, You send the final message to our nation, that the Obama administration brutally punished moral courage, in these unforgiving United States. She has suffered Enough, President Obama. She poses no threat. Show us the heart of the Obama administration now."
Chelsea Manning is serving a 35-year prison sentence due to state secrets she released to the whistleblowing site WikiLeaks during her time as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. During her time in prison she came out publicly as a transgender woman. ANOHNI pleas in her statement to Obama, "Have mercy on her, Obama, friend of the trans community, I implore you to free Chelsea Manning."
The main concern for Manning and her supporters is the unknown of an impending Trump presidency, as Trump and his cabinet appointments have proven to be anti-transgender rights and utterly unforgiving to whistleblowers. In reference to Edward Snowden, Trump repeatedly said "kill the traitor" on the campaign trail. As ANOHNI says in her statement, "With Trump incoming, if you leave Chelsea in prison, she will never see the light of day, or worse."
"Obama" can be found on ANOHNI's new album Hopelessness, available now. Watch the video below.