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Gender Fluid Person Named to Manage Used Nuclear Fuel.
From Sam Brinton's Linkedin Page:
It’s official. As of June 19th, I now serve my nation as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy in the Department of Energy. Due to the concern of negative and threatening responses like we saw in my previous announcement as I was offered the role, including more than a hundred death threats and more vitriol than I could have imagined, I held off announcing my official start until I could be safe and secure in my new role.
But goodness is this a time for celebration! It’s really really official! The beautiful irony that the months-long process of getting me into this role culminated in a Pride month start date is not lost on me. As one of if not the very first openly genderfluid individuals in federal government leadership, I was welcomed with open arms into the Department of Energy all the way up to the Secretary whom I shared the stage with in a Pride month celebration panel just today. To clarify, I am not a Biden appointee (despite what was reported) and instead serve as a career employee in the Senior Executive Service - I intend to be serving my country in this role through many many presidencies.
I’ve prepared for this moment in a technical sense for a decade. Graduating with not one but two degrees from MIT led to working at multiple think tanks where I produced the first-of-a-kind reports and maps on consent-based siting and advanced reactor innovation. Being the first employee of one of the world’s first nuclear waste start-up companies led me to innovate and drive the national conversation of nuclear waste management into the future. And now, I lead a staff of hundreds and a budget of millions (with a Nuclear Waste Fund I’m responsible for at over $45 billion) as the leader of the office overseeing the management of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel.
Thank you for being the community who believed in me. You got me through some dark days these past few months and I’m eternally grateful. Now it's time for me to make my mark as the Deputy Assistant Secretary...
But goodness is this a time for celebration! It’s really really official! The beautiful irony that the months-long process of getting me into this role culminated in a Pride month start date is not lost on me. As one of if not the very first openly genderfluid individuals in federal government leadership, I was welcomed with open arms into the Department of Energy all the way up to the Secretary whom I shared the stage with in a Pride month celebration panel just today. To clarify, I am not a Biden appointee (despite what was reported) and instead serve as a career employee in the Senior Executive Service - I intend to be serving my country in this role through many many presidencies.
I’ve prepared for this moment in a technical sense for a decade. Graduating with not one but two degrees from MIT led to working at multiple think tanks where I produced the first-of-a-kind reports and maps on consent-based siting and advanced reactor innovation. Being the first employee of one of the world’s first nuclear waste start-up companies led me to innovate and drive the national conversation of nuclear waste management into the future. And now, I lead a staff of hundreds and a budget of millions (with a Nuclear Waste Fund I’m responsible for at over $45 billion) as the leader of the office overseeing the management of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel.
Thank you for being the community who believed in me. You got me through some dark days these past few months and I’m eternally grateful. Now it's time for me to make my mark as the Deputy Assistant Secretary...
Sam Brinton
Q&A with Nuclear Engineer, Presidential Adviser & Conversion Therapy Activist Sam Brinton
I may be an old fat bald straight white guy, but I particularly relate to this remark they made in the above interview:
BEQ: WHAT UNIQUE QUALITIES OR PERSPECTIVE DO YOU BRING TO THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR ENERGY AS AN LGBTQ PERSON?
Brinton: THIS is my best argument for my decision to become a nuclear engineer. Think about this: A nuclear engineer is constantly fighting the misperception that they are Homer Simpson and killing the environment with green glowing goo or about to build a nuclear bomb. They are constantly correcting public perception. And that’s what an LGBTQ person is doing too. We are helping our parents realize their idea of who we would marry isn’t necessarily the same. We are showing the world we are more than the stereotypical identities they see on TV. That’s why I think us LGBTQ nuclear engineers are the best nuclear engineers.
Brinton: THIS is my best argument for my decision to become a nuclear engineer. Think about this: A nuclear engineer is constantly fighting the misperception that they are Homer Simpson and killing the environment with green glowing goo or about to build a nuclear bomb. They are constantly correcting public perception. And that’s what an LGBTQ person is doing too. We are helping our parents realize their idea of who we would marry isn’t necessarily the same. We are showing the world we are more than the stereotypical identities they see on TV. That’s why I think us LGBTQ nuclear engineers are the best nuclear engineers.