IDENTITY CRISIS
Let Brinton brouhaha be a lesson
IN June, Sam Brinton, who identifies as nonbinary and wears dresses, stilettos and sometimes a mustache, was tapped by the Department of Energy to be a deputy assistant secretary.
It was touted as historic — Brinton being the first genderfluid person in federal leadership.
But within months, the hire backfired, causing a self-inflicted toxic spill all over the department and the Biden administration.
Turns out, the 35-year-old gender bender was not a dutiful bureaucrat, but a perfectly formed “Curb Your Enthusiasm” plotline. Less hilarious? It was also a cautionary tale about the perils of championing identify over everything else.
Because, among their many quirks, it would seem that Brinton also steals suitcases.
In October, they were charged with allegedly nicking a woman’s bag from a Minneapolis airport. In December, they were arrested for snatching another lady’s luggage from a Las Vegas airport. That same month, a DEO spokeperson said that Brinton “is no longer a DOE employee.”
Then, this week, a bombshell dropped on Twitter courtesy of Tanzanian fashion designer Asya Khamsin, whose suitcase, filled with her original designs, went missing in March 2018. Khamsin spotted photos of Brinton posing in her unique and ornate dresses — and provided side-by-side images of herself and Brinton looking like a bizarre version of Who Wore It Better.
Red flags
As if this whole affair could not get any more farcical, Brinton had previously been featured in the Italian version of Vanity Fair wearing one of Khamsin’s designs.
Sure, Brinton has an MIT degree — but also proudly flaunted a résumé filled with kinky extracurriculars.
According to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student paper, when Brinton spoke to a group there in 2017 they shared how they like to tie up their partner “like a table” and eat “dinner on him while [watching] ‘Star Trek.’ ” Pardon?
Not long ago, folks fought for the right to be defined not by their bedroom activities, but by their qualifications. But our DEIobsessed culture now incentivizes and prioritizes intersectional bona fides. Candidates who check these boxes are commodified by corporations — and yes, now our governmental institutions.
The CIA has been mocked for its woke recruiting ads, while US military branches are up in arms over far-left ideological change.
Brinton was a perfect avatar for this movement.
On Twitter, Brinton noted their start date coincided with Pride Month and that they shared the stage with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm “in a Pride month celebration panel just today.”
During the first few weeks of a job, most employees are given an HR training session and a mug. Brinton got a public-facing parade and a seat with the boss.
All of this despite flags as red as Brinton’s lipstick.
Long before Brinton was unmasked for terrorizing luggage carousels, the Iowa native became a vocal activist against gay conversion therapy. Brinton claimed to have been physically abused by their father, a strict Baptist, and forced to attend a conversion camp.
Gay activist Wayne Beson raised concerns as far back as 2011 because Brinton was evasive when pressed for details — particularly, the name of their conversion therapist and the facility where the socalled therapy occurred.
“Why was Sam Brinton the only survivor of conversion therapy I’ve encountered since 1998 who refused to answer these questions?” Beson wrote.
Style over substance
Just last week, Brinton’s family spoke to The Post denying the tales of abuse.
“There’s no validity to those claims,” Brinton’s sister, Rachel, said. “First of all, the claims of conversion therapy never happened, nor did my parents abuse my brother or I . . . It’s disheartening because my parents are still being slandered for the past decade because some people believed Samuel’s words.”
On LinkedIn, Brinton described the DOE role as overseeing a budget of $100 million and more than 20 staffers. It required security clearance. This wasn’t a ceremonial position.
But Brinton’s queer identity, red lipstick and high heels act as a Teflon suit ensuring that they will never be rigorously probed, questioned or vetted — lest the questioner be branded a bigot.
And in the end, this fawning practice only hurts the very community Brinton claims to be representing and empowering.